TARN ET GARONNE - The great fluvial valleys

The circular Grain Hall of Auvillar

Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave

Perfect for a weekend, this well-located village will appeal to urban dwellers from nearby towns. We walk there to admire the Castle of Richard-Coeur-de-Lion and its 4 towers (where he stayed) which houses the Town Hall. The village church was rebuilt in the 17th century with a Toulousain style bell tower, there is also another church, that of Moutet, with thick mud walls, its wall bell tower and rustic furniture.

The tips and good plans of the Guide Tarn Aveyron in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave:

• Visit the Lamothe-Cadillac museum to learn more about this original character, founder of the city of Detroit in the United States.
• In summer and even all year round, meet at the beautiful Plage82 leisure center, with swimming pool, sand, games and water activities (boating, canoeing, windsurfing, pedalo...).

Castelsarrasin

It is the second municipality of the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, in terms of population and economy. Located between Bordeaux and Narbonne via Toulouse, at the tip of Languedoc, Castelsarrasin is a flowery town. A few kilometers west of Montauban, there are all amenities. The city is home to the Saint-Sauveur church, made of Toulouse-style bricks with an octagonal bell tower, the Saint-Jean church and the Notre-Dame d'Alem church. Observe the beautiful clock of the Hôtel de Ville, flanked by 2 statues. Also take a walk on the metal footbridge, along the Garonne canal, next to the station. Continue your discovery in the center, where beautiful houses are visible: Maison Renaissance, Hôtel Lamothe-Cadillac, Maison de l'Abbé des Prades, Rue de la Discretion and Rue de la Solitude typical of the Middle Ages. It is pleasant to stroll in the port, along the canal towards the lock...

The tips and good plans of the Guide Tarn Aveyron in Castelsarrasin:

• Near the city, the Lac de Fourrières, the Lac de Monestie, the Lac des Trescasses are good fishing spots. You can also walk there, but not swim there.
• There are many sports facilities in and around the city: Stadium, Tennis, Swimming Pool, Hippodrome...
• Take a family walk in Parc de Clairefont, over 7 hectares of greenery, you will find games for children, a sports course.

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Montech

On the alluvial plain of the Garonne, 10 kilometers from Montauban, Montech is a dynamic town. It is crossed by many small streams, by the Canal des Deux-Mers and is home to a magnificent national forest , La Forêt d'Agre (1474ha): an ideal place to come across deer, deer, wild boar, foxes and rabbits. For a family stay, this forest is full of walks. Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation is a Gothic-style church with 17 bells, some of which date back several centuries. In Montech there is also a nautical stop, where you can take cruises on the Canal and also take advantage of the Pente d'eau, an ingenious work to avoid boaters going through 5 locks (thus saving time!).

Montech, side canal of the Garonne

Verdun-sur-Garonne

Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, Verdun-sur-Garonne is a town located on the left bank of the Garonne. It is an ancient fortified city, visit the Castrum (the oldest part of the city), passing by the brick Clock Tower and continuing towards the 17th century market hall. In the distance, we can see the Château de la Reine Margot and its tower. Open your senses to start a walk on the Ile de Labreille, a sensitive area of 32 ha, protected in a meander of the Garonne. You will find a beautiful hiking trail there, without any vehicle, and can enjoy a moment of fishing or discovering the flora and fauna.

Verdun-sur-Garonne and the Clock Tower

Grisolles

Another town along the Canal des Deux-Mers: Grisolles. We come here for a green stopover, to eat well and rest. Grisolles is famous for the invention and production, let's say on an industrial level, of the sorghum broom (the classic yellow straw broom). Until 1998, for more than a century, 40 factories produced this type of broom, making the city one of the main industrial centers of the department! Visit the Calbet Museum in Grisolles, in a beautiful house typical of the village, for a trip back in time. Also visit the 13th century Saint-Martin church.

The Calbet Museum in Grisolles

Montauban

Montauban is the largest town in Tarn-et-Garonne with approximately 60,000 inhabitants. It is a very beautiful bastide, on a human scale and bright, where it is good to live and come on vacation. It is a dynamic city, which values its heritage and endeavors to make visitors, as well as inhabitants, discover all its cultural and historical riches. As such, it is labeled "City of Art and History". The animations are numerous, festive and throughout the year, things move in Montauban! A major tourist spot, an essential stopover during your stay in Tarn-et-Garonne, it is one of the "Grands Sites Midi Pyrénées". Stroll through its pink brick streets and alleys, with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Watered by the Tarn, Montauban enjoys a pretty canal port, which leads to the Canal de Montech, linking the river Tarn to the Canal des Deux-Mers (which itself links Bordeaux to the Canal du Midi in Toulouse!).

Visit of Montauban:

Many buildings and monuments are worthy of interest in Montauban (which has 43 inventoried), starting with the many churches, reflecting various cults. The Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral, the highest point of the city commissioned by Louis XIV at the end of the ^17th century, the Saint-Jacques-de-Montauban church, the Saint-Étienne church... there is also the Temple of the Carmelites, the temple of the Faculty... Discover the Ingres museum, whose building was used to hide the Mona Lisa during the Second World War. The central square of the city is "La Place Nationale", with its sumptuous arcades. Pass the Old Bridge, which dates from the 14th century. Take advantage of your visit to the Tourist Office to discover the former Jesuit college.

Montauban

Nature lovers and families looking for a green odyssey for a picnic will find themselves at the Jardin des Plantes and its attractive arboretum. Around the center, eastern district of the city, is a magnificent Rose Garden with more than 12,000 specimens. The Parc du Treil extends over 13,000m² , you can walk there to discover the Tarn and its banks and observe the island of Pissote on the Tarn.

For playful discoveries, the Victor Brun Natural History Museum presents collections of birds and mammals. The Montauban Toy Museum will delight children. The Paumadou Museum, or Mini Museum, will appeal to art lovers and anyone wishing to enrich their knowledge of art.

Montauban also offers a selection of concert halls and shows, look at the programs on the city's website.

Montauban and its magnificent squares

The tips and good plans of the Guide Tarn Aveyron in Montauban:

• At the canal port, in the summer, treat yourself to a boat trip, it's so pleasant with the sunlight, filtered by the trees along the canal...
• The third largest aquatic complex in France is located in Montauban, it 's Ingreo. An aquatic area with slides and 6 pools, open all year round with very hot water for relaxing in winter, cooling off and sunbathing in summer.
• If you like museums, go to a very original shop, which offers casts from national museums: Archeo Deco. You will also find effigies of film characters, such as the Tontons Flingueurs.
• It is raining? No luck, but no despair, because to occupy the children for half a day, there is the Tohu Bohu park with its inflatable structures and a super rail hanging from the ceiling, where the children ride aboard a helicopter. ! Tooooppp!!
• On the Tourist Office website, you will find walking routes.
• Rent a bike and go for a ride along the Montech canal, it's great!
• The Heritage Center organizes guided tours of the center of the city, made by Guides Speakers.

Montauban, the cousin of Toulouse

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Negrepelisse

Located in the alluvial plain of Aveyron, the bastide of Nègrepelisse is a natural and relaxing place, which is developing thanks to green tourism. You will see the church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens , rebuilt in the 19th century. The remains of the castle of Nègrepelisse, which is today a center of art and history: La Cuisine. Observe the magnificent retaining walls of the castle and the adjacent mill (which is open to visit and in operation all summer). On the site of the Castle and the mill, take a walk on the "island", a path punctuating a sensitive space, where beautiful varieties of flora can be contemplated.

For the little etymological history, the original name of the town was Sieurac, it seems that the woodcutters who made charcoal while wearing a pelisse (a coat lined with fur) blackened by soot, in the local forest , gave the current nickname to the city.

The Castle of Nègrepelisse