697km (432 miles) SW of Paris; 76km (47 miles) NE of Toulouse
Albi straddles both banks of the Tarn River and is dominated by its 13th-century cathedral, the heart of the remarkable Episcopal city. The whole of this medieval city center was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2010. Albi is known as the “red city,” its major remarkable buildings constructed from red bricks.
Painter Toulouse-Lautrec was born in the Hôtel Bosc in Albi; it’s still a private home and not open to visitors, but a plaque is on the wall of the building, on rue Toulouse-Lautrec in the town center. Naturally, one of the town’s major attractions is the Toulouse-Lautrec museum with a world-class collection of the artist’s work.
You can also visit the family's Château de Bosc, Camjac, 12800 Naucelle (tel. 05-65-69-20-83; www.chateaudubosc.com), 47km (29 miles) from Toulouse. It was built in 1180 and renovated after its partial destruction in the 1400s. The present owner, Mademoiselle de Céleran, and her team welcome visitors interested in Toulouse-Lautrec, but it's best to call ahead as you can only visit on a guided tour.
