Three Free Things to Admire in Historical Albi, Albi, France

One of the reasons I love to visit my uncle in southwestern France, is his location. He lives a seven minute walk to the local train station where one then has a multitude of small towns from which to pick. One place I visit each time I’m in the region is Albi, a town on the River Tarn.

Albi is a charming place to spend a day, being about an hour away from the city of Toulouse by train. It’s also great because you can make this trip as cheap as you want. The last time I was here, the only things for which I paid for were the train tickets and lunch. Besides that, it was a lovely day wandering around the UNESCO World Heritage town where some of the important sights are free. Here are three free things to admire on a visit to historical Albi:

Rain or shine, I love Albi’s architecture in the historical centre. Even though dampness sucks, I have found that the best time to wander Albi’s centre is during the week around lunch time in the rain – the streets tend to be quiet and rather deserted. The gloomy air mixed with the medieval architecture creates quite the atmosphere for those with vivid imaginations. A wander to the riverbanks is also worthwhile, as the Pont Vieux is still used today despite being built way back in 1035. The bridge was originally built in stone but is now covered over by brick – it’s a pretty bridge with eight arches and from here, you can get that quintessential European photograph. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).