Albi

Albi is the capital of the Department of Tarn in Occitanie in southwest France. It is 75 km northeast of Toulouse.

Understand
Albi is probably best-known as the birthplace of the painter and illustrator, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. But at least equally relevant to travellers is the Cité épiscopale, an intact set of Mediaeval buildings surrounding the cathedral that was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2010.

The Albigensian Crusade in the 13th century was named for this town which had many of the Cathars that the Church considered heretics.

By plane
The nearest airport is in Toulouse.

By train
TER trains depart hourly from Toulouse, 1hr, from €5 (as of Oct 2023). You can check schedules on the SNCF website.



Do

 * Rugby league: Albi Tigers play in Elite 1, the top French tier for 13-a-side rugby. Their home ground is Stade Mazicou (capacity 5000) 2 km north of town centre. The playing season is Sept-April.