Albi France

Albi France Travel Guide 4K. A short guide to the historic city of Albi showing its top attractions. An ideal day trip from nearby Toulouse.
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0:00 Intro
0:46 Sainte-Cecile Cathedral of Albi / Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile
2:28 Toulouse-Lautrec Museum / Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
4:23 Church of St. Salvy / Collégiale Saint-Salvy
5:06 Albi Old Town / Vieille ville d’Albi
5:40 River Tarn

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This is Albi, a small but
stunning French city with some epic buildings to wonder at, an important gallery
dedicated to a famous artist and some amazing vantage points to gaze over. Let’s go! [music] Albi is situated about 85
kilometers away from Toulouse which makes it a perfect day trip. It’s best to go
by train to Albi Ville Station. The journey is about one hour or so and once
you reach Albi Ville Station it’s another 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the
historic center. The first thing you will notice is the magnificent Cathedral of
Saint Cecile. This imposing building was built in a Gothic style between the 13th
and 15th centuries. However it doesn’t look anything like any other Gothic
Cathedral I’ve ever seen and instead resembles a fortress and this unique design is
one of the reasons it’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It looks epic!
Unlike most cathedrals it does not have any trancepts nor does it have a main
entrance on the front. Instead you enter through this rather
ornate doorway on the side. The interior is simply wow, really one
of the most amazing and unique I’ve seen and if you follow this channel you
will know I’ve visited a lot of cathedrals. Every single surface
is decorated in some way and there is so much detail
it’s really hard to take it all in. Entry to the nave free and it’s worth spending a little
time just gazing at everything. Note the interesting frescoes at
the far end depicting the Last Judgment. Also of note is the
ornate and original choir screen that
separates the nave and the choir. There is a small fee
to enter the choir and its attached museum but
it’s definitely worth it as there really is no
other building like this. The choir of the cathedral
is as dazzling as the nave, especially the
intricate carvings around the choir stalls. It’s
really hard to imagine the amount of work and
skill it took to make all of this. Every surface
is again decorated in some way. I actually ended
up with a badly aching neck from just looking up
at everything. Don’t forget the small museum
which is full of fascinating artifacts such as
these reliquaries containing bones of martyrs.
There are also statues and paintings to admire.
Next door to the cathedral is the other very
famous attraction of Albi, the Musée
Toulouse-Lautrec. The collection is housed in the
Bishop’s Palace which in itself is a noteworthy and
interesting historical building that is worth
exploring even if you’re not interested in the art.
The building was constructed in the 13th century and is similar in appearance to the
cathedral with its rounded red brick exterior giving it
the feeling of a fortress. The museum is dedicated
to Henry D. Toulouse-Lautrec who is one of the most important and influential artists of
the late 19th century. He was an aristocrat who was
born in Albi and due to a medical condition he
was partially crippled and perhaps because of
this he sought the society of others who didn’t
quite fit in. He moved to Paris and was notorious
for spending time in brothels and nightclubs
giving him a unique insight into the Parisian
nightlife. He became best known as a poster artist for
famous clubs such as the Moulin Rouge which allowed him to have a huge influence beyond the
traditional arts. The museum has an extensive collection
starting from his earliest works and going all
the way through to his death. It is displayed chronologically
allowing you to follow the evolution of his work. It includes some of his most
important works. Here are a few highlights. [music] As well as the
works of Toulouse-Lautrec the building houses
other collections displayed in a series of
impressive rooms so don’t miss those. The palace also
has some really amazing gardens that are free to
enter. These have some great views along the river
and are very pleasant to explore. In the center of the old town is the church
of Saint Salvy. It was mostly constructed in the 11th century. Originally a
Romanesque building it was later remodeled in
the Gothic style in the 13th century. The
interior is large and imposing and full of interesting
paintings and artifacts to admire. [music] Outside there are
the remains of the cloisters and a garden which is
free to enter and explore. It’s a peaceful and
relaxing place to take a break from all that
sightseeing so stay around and relax for a short while. We
visited in November when the city was very quiet
and nearly everything was closed for lunch so
during this time we explored the narrow streets
of the old town of Albi. Many of the
buildings are charming and historic with original
facades and features. There are some very ornate ones
such as this one which has a small interesting
courtyard to look around. There are also some
large squares with fountain shops and restaurants.
Basically everything you could need. Near the cathedral you’ll also find the
impressive food hall which is full of tasty looking food. Albi sits high over the River Tan,
which is another not to be missed location. There are a couple of bridges
and the views are stunning all round. There didn’t seem to be too much to do
on the far side of the river, but there are some viewing spots to explore
for more great views over the city. There is also a small museum here
dedicated to the sailor and explorer Lapérouse, who was born in Albi
and was famous for his epic voyages of discovery
around the world in the 18th century. I hope you enjoyed
this short tour of Albi, it’s a wonderful city and I
highly recommend visiting it. Thanks for watching and cheerio!