Two main tourist roads are nearby, the bastide town circuit, and the wine circuit. The route des Bastides connects the medieval fortified villages Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Cordes, or Bruniquel ,...and lets you discover their rich heritage. Saint Michael's Abbey in Gaillac is the starting point for the wine road with its nice scenery on sunny hillsides and green valleys, its small roman churches and vineyards dotted with pigeon lofts amidst beautiful villages, e.g. Andillac. You should taste the famous Gaillac wine at one of the small local producers. You shouldn’t miss local markets, e.g. the Sunday market in St Antonin-Noble-Val.
Interested in culture? The Sainte Cécile Cathedral and the Palais de la Berbie, which hosts the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, both in Albi, should be on top of your list: they are expected to become "World Heritage" site in 2010. Other museums are worth a detour: Ingres in Montauban, Goya in Castres, Yves Brayer in Cordes, the maison des métiers du cuir (leather craftsmen) or the chocolate art in Lisle-sur-Tarn. Toulouse, “la ville rose”, is more than worth the one hour drive: the Capitoul (town hall and central square), the Jacobins cloister, les Abattoirs (a splendid museum of modern art) … Further, the region counts numerous interesting festivals and events, throughout the year.
