Albi, France
Albi is a town on the Tarn River in southern France, northeast of Toulouse. The whole of the medieval city center was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2010.
Dominating the skyline is the 13th-century, red-brick Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, a Gothic landmark with large interior frescoes such as the dramatic “Last Judgment.”
Begun in 1282 and under construction for 200 years, it is one of the largest brick buildings in the world rising to a height of 78 metres, and 113m in length.
Albi is known as the “red city,” its major remarkable buildings constructed from red bricks.
The centuries-old Palais de la Berbie houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, honoring the Albi-born painter. The Fashion Museum, in a former convent, shows 18th–20th-century costumes.
For all your fresh produce, cheese, meat and wine, visit Marche Couvert, the covered market.
The River Tarn divides the city, and the bridges provide great views up and down the waterway.
Would you like to live on a bridge? From the 14-18th century 16 families had homes on the Pont Vieux (“Old Bridge” dating to 1040), until a flood ruined them in 1766.
For more on Albi and some other French destinations – 10 Inspiring Places of Southern France.