An ancient landscape with new names. Our tour begins in Albi which sets the scene – an historic city inhabited since the Bronze Age; characterised by its Languedoc red brick style buildings; a UNSECO World Heritage Site; and for art lovers, the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. From there we will explore the Occitanie region (created on January 1st, 2016 from former French regions Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées) criss-crossing stunning rivers and National Parks. This region has a rich cultural heritage and blending of the French and Catalan cultures with a characteristic warmth reflective of the region’s climate.
Possible stops include –
Laguiole, known for its Laguiole cheese, which has an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, and as the birthplace of the Laguiole knife.
The Medieval hillside village of Conques, located at the confluence of the rivers Dourdou de Conques and Ouche where streets are so narrow cars and busses have to park outside.
Najac, one of the 140 or so Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France), and known for its ham.
Mende, situated in the high valley of the Lot and overlooked by Mont Mimat, an important gateway town between Lyon and Toulouse.
We will head towards St Etienne and finish in France’s second largest Metropolis after Paris, Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, (resulting from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes in January 2016). This cosmopolitan hub brimming with culture, gastronomy and character, and another UNESCO World Heritage Site, marks a glorious end to our tour of this historic region.
We recommend flying into Toulouse where a transfer will be available to Albi. Travellers may with to fly out of Lyon or make their own way back to Toulouse for a return flight.
An excellent description of the Occitanie region can be found here.
Find out more about the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes here.
Itinerary
August 18 - Toulouse to Albi
Travellers will arrive into Toulouse 'La ville en rose' with a transfer to Albi with its 13th-century, red-brick Sainte-Cécile Cathedral.
TBC Our itinerary is being completed and may include
Najac
Conques
Sarlat
Saint Cere
Languiole
Mende
Saint Etienne
September 2nd - Lyon
Proposed end of the Tour.