What to do in Tarn-et-Garonne?

Wondering what to do during your next winter vacation in Tarn-et-Garonne ? The Tarn Aveyron Guide offers a program of winter activities : sport, cultural visits, gastronomic discoveries, fun and fun outings to have fun with the family. No doubt, they will make your winter stay in Tarn-et-Garonne unforgettable !

Its rural environment and mild climate lend themselves well to outdoor sports in all seasons. You will also appreciate these breathtaking panoramas, which will spread out before your eyes, from these beautiful medieval villages, towns and bastides. Its authentic culture, its local crafts and its local products are also very attractive, especially in winter when there are fewer visitors and where you can taste its tasty and gourmet cuisine.

Photo d'ouverture : © Marta P. (Milacroft) / Adobe Stock

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Family hiking in the Tarn-et-Garonne

In winter, taking care of yourself by practicing sport is essential to keep in shape. Doing it in the middle of nature allows you to oxygenate yourself and refuel your energy. The Tarn-et-Garonne offers you a preserved environment and beautiful winter days to enjoy it. Hiking adapts to all levels, whatever your age or your physical abilities. In addition, the forests are bare and you will admire the panoramas as far as the eye can see.

If you are looking for routes, we recommend Randoland (fr). This site gives you access to 31 hiking trails in Tarn-et-Garonne to do with the family. For a small fee, you can download fun fact sheets, including information on places to visit and puzzles to entertain children.

In pretty villages like Auvillar or in nature like in the Lauzerte plain, go hiking! Photos @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Pedal along the Canal des Deux-Mers

Shaped by its beautiful rivers, the Tarn and Aveyron, and its river, the Garonne, it is a slightly hilly area. A few plateaus rub shoulders with river valleys, allowing for beautiful excursions, but without sporting difficulty. Following roughly the Garonne, the Garonne canal is bordered by a very bucolic greenway and leads to pretty villages and sites to visit. We suggest you cross the Tarn-et-Garonne by bike, along the Deux-Mers canal for a sporting and cultural ride.

The Deux-Mers Canal is a long waterway that crosses the whole of southwest France, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, from Sète to the outskirts of Bordeaux. It is divided into two portions, with a junction at Toulouse. The first part, from the Mediterranean beaches to the pink city, is called the " Canal du Midi ". The second part which leads to Castets-en-Dorthe, in the Gironde, is called the “ canal de la Garonne ”.

The Canal des Deux Mers in Montech ; Photo @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Stroll through the beautiful villages of Tarn-et-Garonne

If you like history and old stones, you have something to satisfy your curiosity in these medieval villages, the “ Castelnaux ”, and these bastides. These are architectural gems that dot the Entre-deux-rivières, bordered by the Tarn and Aveyron. We have selected the most beautiful villages in Tarn-et-Garonne for you and here are our favorites :

Auvillar, one of the “ most beautiful villages in France ” (fr), sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Garonne. It is the ideal place to gain height and contemplate the valley.
In Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, we are in the heart of the Aveyron gorges, in a truly exceptional setting. This village lives thanks to its local craftsmanship, which can be found both in its shops and scattered over its buildings.
The medieval city of Lauzerte is located on the Chemins-de-Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle and has beautiful religious monuments.
The ancient Templar city of Montricoux is a medieval village, well preserved, with its half-timbered houses and its Templar keep.
Caylus has two unusual sites to see : its original “ Wolf House ” and its petrifying Saint-Livron waterfall.

Take a walk in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, all year round ! Photos @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Taste the delicious local cuisine

Tarn-et-Garonne is a rural and agricultural region, at the heart of different peasant cultures. This fertile land offers good local products : high quality fruit and vegetables, tasty meats and poultry, a few " black diamonds from Quercy "... This is the secret of these generous dishes, resulting from a family culinary tradition, gourmet and authentic. We have given you an overview of the specialties and gastronomy of Tarn-et-Garonne.

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In Labastide-du-Temple, the Domaine de Gazania (fr) is a curious mix between an exotic greenhouse and a wine cellar, between vines and a garden… It is a somewhat indefinable visit, but so exotic, especially during winter.

Hmmmmmmmm good food to taste back from the market Photo @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Discover the Truffle du Quercy

Tarn-et-Garonne is the land of production of Quercy truffles. To learn more about caving and the profession of truffle farmer, producers welcome you to the truffle fields. On the truffle markets, you will live an original experience, in this somewhat mysterious universe of the collectors or producers of this black jewel. To highlight this flagship of Tarn-et-Garonne gastronomy, you will need a few tips for conservation and cooking. In our article, we reveal the secrets of the Truffle du Quercy.

The Black Truffle of Quercy, it is winter that we can taste it! Photo @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Doing good business in the Gras Markets

To complete this gastronomic tour of Tarn-et-Garonne, we can only suggest that you do a Marché au Gras. As its name suggests, this type of market is reserved for fatty poultry. They are very famous in the region. It is therefore a traditional and old economic sector. In these markets, geese and fatty ducks are the kings, in all their forms : carcasses for juices and tasty broths, whole ducks, foie gras and other delicacies, resulting from these birds. So it's not just raw products for great cooks. You can buy processed products there, directly by the producers : duck rillettes, necks stuffed with goose, gratons, pâtés... Meet at the Caussade fat market, on Mondays, or at the Castelsarrasin market, Thursday.

The fat markets are where you can find, at the best price, very good quality for the preparation of traditional dishes from the southwest. Photo @ Guide Tarn Aveyron

Meet artisans and discover their know-how and ancient trades

Crafts are the reflection of the practices of yesteryear, customs and know-how held by the elders... Unfortunately, too often, they disappear in favor of industry and mechanization. It is a memory of actions that it is nevertheless essential to preserve and transmit to our children, because they are quite simply part of the history of humanity. When a craftsman opens his workshop, he offers the child an opportunity to open his eyes, to be dazzled and perhaps to find his way… To inspire you on your next visits, the Guide du Tarn Aveyron offers you a discovery of the old-professions in Tarn-et-Garonne.

Go shopping in Montauban

Montauban is a city of " art and history ", with a beautiful heritage. Its historic city center is a beautiful setting for the shops that have settled there. It is also the largest city in the region ! If you want to go shopping in Tarn-et-Garonne, this is the place to go. You will find all the major brands and small local shops there.

To occupy the children during your shopping trip, think of Tohubohu Parc. Inside, rides, inflatable games, ball bath, labyrinths, karting and bumper cars, video games… There is something to please all children under 12 ! And for those over 12, offer them an escape game. It's stimulating, fun and they can spend a few hours there!