Millau Towns, Villages and Bastides in Millau

Millau is a town in Aveyron, famous for its majestic and breathtaking viaduct . So let's start by talking about it, before telling you about the other riches of the second city of the department.

The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge , its primary function is to span the Tarn valley to join the Causse Rouge and the Causse du Larzac . It is an architectural feat 2460m long! Cars use it via the A75 motorway . This pharaonic project was carried out to avoid traffic jams on the outskirts of Millau, a very busy and congested holiday route . In addition to its road function, the Millau Viaduct, which is a truly extraordinary and amazing project (really...) is an undeniable tourist attraction in the region. Consequently, everything is laid out to admire it from all sides, understand it and appreciate it from the first stone to the passage of the first cars.

To learn more about the Viaduc de Millau, we invite you to go through the Aire du Viaduc de Millau , to see the Viaduc Expo . You will enjoy a magnificent view of the bridge, its stays, its deck, its 7 piers, including P2, the highest pier in the world! There is an exhibition space with explanatory panels , all organized by Eiffage, the construction group that built the viaduct. To have another magnificent view integrated into the Aveyron landscape, go to the village of Peyre , located along the Tarn.

Back to Millau! Ancient city , born from the attraction of the Tarn and its confluence, Millau is famous for its craftsmen who work the clay (which the Roman Empire was fond of...). It is a technique of pottery , earthenware and ceramics , which consists in applying a layer of clay with extremely fine particles, on the surface of the modeled object, to give it properties of hardness , sealing and robustness important . In Millau, it is on the Gallo-Roman archaeological site of Graufesenque , that you will learn more about this subject.

It was in the 9th century that Millau changed sides (strictly speaking!) and settled on the other bank of the Tarn, to transform itself into a commercial city . Over the centuries, Millau took off thanks to the know-how of the inhabitants in the manufacture of gloves , sheets , leather work and skins in general.

In the 19th century, it was the period of urban development , with the territorial development of the city, still specializing in tanning (leather gloves). Today, as in many towns in the region and after social crises and industrial decline, the glove industry is in the minority. It is gradually being taken over by tourism , as a heritage element to be valued.

Today, Millau is a great city for holidays , with nearly 23,000 inhabitants, many natural and cultural sites and activities all year round. The climate is pleasant, it is well located and served by transport.

Millau is a nature destination, here the surrounding landscape consists of natural lawns , on limestone soil. The gorges and ravines are part of a whole sensitive ecosystem, integrated into the Grands Causses regional natural park . On one side the Tarn gorges , on the other the Lévézou plateau and the Dourbie gorges . Sports, nature and adventure lovers will be really happy in Millau which is a mecca for nature sports ! Here we do mountain biking , trail running, white water and nautical sports , canyoning , climbing , via ferrata , paragliding , rubber band, parachute ... We build muscle, we get some fresh air , we are having fun !!