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The immediate area

2 minutes drive brings you to rail connections, 5 minutes to local shops and bars and the Medieval Village of Cordes sur Ciel and 20 minutes to Albi or Gaillac.

Steeped in history with numerous Bastide Towns, ancient vineyards close by, glorious countryside and scenery, the local area cannot fail to give you a feeling of calm and revitalise you.

Superb local fare is easily found at many eateries close by or purchased at the numerous weekly markets or visit local vineyards with delicious wines there for the tasting.

The ‘locals’ are all charming, welcoming and helpful, not may have very good English but you can make yourself understood. The expat community is ever growing as this stunning area of France is slowly discovered. Offering a sophistication rarely found in other parts of rural France the local area lives up to it’s name of the ‘Golden Triangle’ between Cordes sur Ciel, Gaillac and Albi and was also called ‘Kensingtarn’ in a recent feature in the Sunday Times!

The local area

This is an unspoiled area of natural beauty about a day's drive from the Channel Ports or just one hour from Toulouse International airport (about 6 flights a day from the UK with BA & Easyjet). Additionally, there are now daily inexpensive flights to Rodez with Ryanair about an hour and a half away. On a wider perspective, the location is central to the Pyrénees, the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts all of which make for an interesting day away. This area of the Tarn is renowned for its many 'bastide' towns and villages. Of these, Cordes is perhaps the best known and  best example of this style of medieval fortified community. Dating from 1222, Cordes was founded by Raymond, Count of Toulouse during the turbulent years of the Albigensian Crusades.

Today, the hill-top village of Cordes stands in its entirety, most of its buildings having been painstakingly restored by the artisans and artists who now live and work there. Cordes and its environs is also home to many restaurateurs (one restaurant has a coveted Michelin rosette). There are several fêtes, spectacles, music festivals and general entertainments which take place in Cordes every summer. and of course it has its own Market every Saturday morning. In addition to its historic importance, Cordes also has all the shops and services to sustain daily life (small supermarket, tabac, news agent, bank, post office, boulangerie/patisserie, boucherie and several bar/restaurants).

Albi, "County Town" of the Tarn - pictured left is full of interesting architecture, as well as one of the world's most comprehensive collections of the works of Toulouse Lautrec, great shops, abundant restaurants and of course the river which you can take a cruise down at certain times of the year.

 

The awesome stature of the 'Millau Suspension Bridge' is just a 1½ to 2 hr drive from here and you really won't regret the effort. It is an amazing feat of engineering and is the largest of its type in the world. You won’t regret coming here, we didn’t, it is somewhere very special and we won’t be going far……………

Nicki & Duncan Evans