Pont Vieux was the main highlight of our daytrip to Albi. Pont Vieux (also known as the “Old Bridge“) beautifully stretches across the Tarn River.

Together with Cathedral Sainte-Cécile and Palais de la Berbie as a backdrop brings one back to the Renaissance era of France. The City of Albi was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010.

The “Old Bridge”

Pont Vieux was constructed in 1040 which made the City of Albi a significant crossing of trade routes in Occitanie, France. The bridge was originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on eight arches and is 151 m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified and reinforced with a drawbridge, and houses were built on the piers.

The Old Bridge is now accessible on foot and by vehicles. There were some renovations to the Old Bridge and the surroundings. I suppose with a Bridge that ancient and still in use, it is essential to strengthen the foundation.

The bridges, Pont Vieux (above) together with Pont Neuf (below) was one of the reasons that we detoured from Toulouse to Albi before returning to Lourdes. In order to catch sight of the beautiful of bridges of Albi as well as visit the 13th-century Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile (Sainte-Cecile Cathedral of Albi), we started our journey from Albi Madeleine station.

Madeleine district

In order not to repeat the same route we traveled, we disembarked the train at Albi Madeleine station. Opened in 1899, the station does not seem to include any washrooms or elevators. There was even limited space to sit to wait for the train.

The Madeleine district seems to be set aside for residential purposes. The streets were quite deserted either because it was cold or that most resident are at work.

Belvédère du Pont Vieux

Belvédère du Pont Vieux is shown below on the left bank of the Tarn River in Albi. This is a very peaceful lookout area with a Timescope virtual reality terminal being installed. The Terminal takes viewers through a 5-min 3D journey of the reconstruction of the evolution of the Old Bridge.

Cordeliers district

Across from the Madeleine district, the Cordeliers district of Albi is a busier neighborhood.

Palais de la Berbie is one of the oldest and best-preserved castle in France. The imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. Originally built as a military architecture for affirm the power of the bishops against government officials.

The bishops subsequently transformed the fortress into pleasure residence. Its name comes from the Occitan (a medieval language) word Bisbia, meaning Bishops’ Palace.

The garden in this castle is exceptionally beautifully designed. We were intending to bring our sandwich to sit at its garden to enjoy its beauty while eating. Unfortunately, it rained and the garden seem to be doing some cleaning before the summer rolls in.

Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile

Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile is the largest brick cathedral in the world. The bell tower is 78m high. Its dimensions are 113m long, 35m wide and 30m under the vault. It took builders 200 years to build this gigantic vessel.

Casco histórico de Albí is the historical centre of Albi where tourists find themselves spoilt with a variety of shops to wander into as the centre is close to vehicles.

The walk to Gare d’Albi-Ville, the southernmost region of Albi takes approximately 20-30mins on foot. It is a very nice walk as we pass the statue of Joan of Arc and the beautiful Parc Rochegude.

Tip: 1 day is sufficient to wander through the city of Albi.