Albi is small and relatively off-the-touristy radar town on the Tarn River in southern France, conveniently located about an hour northeast from Toulouse.

Despite its size, Albi is incredibly rich in history and charm. For me is without a doubt one of my favorite small town in France.

Albi is covered in red bricks, what gives this town a charming and distinctive aspect. The best way to visit Albi is by wandering around the historic center. Through the small cobblestone streets and alleyways near the river.

Albi Cathedral

The Cathedral is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place will take your breath-way, it’s imposingly tall and has a distinctive look for the use of brick to construct its exterior. I personally, never came across a construction of this size made of bricks.

This incredibly beautiful Gothic Cathedral is located in the middle of the lovely charming plaza filled with cafes, boulangeries, and other stores.

I found the interior as impressive as the exterior.

Maison du Vieil Alby

The Maison du Vieil Alby is a brick-half-timbered house covered in red-bricks. This house is one of the oldest-surviving buildings in Albi.

 Collégiale Saint-Salvi

A Catholic church with a small cozy cloister, perfect stop, to have a snack or to relax.

Palais de la Berbie

The Palais de la Berbie was a former Bishop’s Palace that serves today as an art museum dedicated to the artwork of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The gardens behind it, are truly fantastic and the view of the Tarn River spectacular.

Old medieval bridge.

The special thing about the Albi bridge is that it’s also constructed with the same red brick from which all the buildings in the old town were made.

From the bridge, you get a great view over the rest of Albi and the city of Madeleine which is located on the other side of the bridge. The river itself is also quite pretty.

From the other side of town, you have excellent views of the cathedral and the the Pont Vieux along the Tarn River

Marché Couvert

It’s a small indoor marketplace, unfortunately with no vegan options.

where to stay and how to get there

Albi is a great place to visit but is really small. So its better to base yourself in the nearby big city of Toulouse and do Albi as a day trip. Toulouse as plenty of accommodation choices and Albi doesn’t.

Toulouse has plenty of hostels, hotels as well as a range of AirB&Bs to choose from.

Blabla car works really well in France and is a great way to meet local people.

photography – all rights reserved – Ana Rocha

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