A brick-built town, seven hilltop villages
The Gaillac region fits within thirty kilometres: a river, medieval bastide towns, five of France's Most Beautiful Villages, and the Grésigne forest to catch your breath. Here's where to start.
The Tarn at Gaillac — Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 Gaillac
A thousand-year-old abbey, narrow pink-brick lanes, half-timbered squares, and a market twice a week. The town doesn't reveal itself at first glance — but in the late afternoon, when the light catches the pink stone, it's stunning.
Discover Gaillac, the townGaillac's monuments and museums
Seven villages within thirty kilometres
Between Puycelsi and Castelnau lies the Grésigne forest, 3,500 hectares of oak woodland to explore on foot.See the hikes
Five villages in a day is doable — as long as you don't race the clock. Set off early, save Cordes-sur-Ciel for the afternoon light, and the last glass for the arcades of Lisle, at sunset.
The perched-villages loop
Five hilltop villages — from Cordes-sur-Ciel to Lisle-sur-Tarn — strung into a loop from Gaillac: a full day's drive (~90 km, two hours on the road excluding stops), best ended with an apéritif under the arcades of Lisle.
- 1 Gaillac — Start — the market in the morning, then head north.
- 2 Cordes-sur-Ciel — ~20 min — the hilltop town, climb to the summit.
- 3 Castelnau-de-Montmiral — ~25 min — a bastide among France's most beautiful villages, arcaded square.
- 4 Puycelsi — ~15 min — a fortified village on its spur, overlooking the Grésigne forest.
- 5 Bruniquel — ~15 min — the village perched above the Aveyron, its two castles.
- 6 Lisle-sur-Tarn — ~30 min — the largest arcaded square in south-west France, an apéro stop before heading back.