Castres :

A stopover on the Pilgrim's Way to Saint Jacques de Compostella since the IXth century, prosperous from the Middle Ages due to its textile industry, situated at the gates of the Parc Naturel Regional Du Haute-Languedoc, near the Black Mountains and Sidobre, Castres enjoys a great history.

http://www.ville-castres.fr

Le Sidobre :

Just 120 square kilometres, a little corner of France situated just east of Castres, this area has been sculptured by erosion for about 280 million years.

Each rock has a name and a story to tell: Peyro-Klabado (780 tonnes of granite perched on 1 metre square rock base); also the trembling rocks; Les Trois Fromages…

The granite from Sidobre has been mined since the Middle Ages. 150,000 tonnes of granite are extracted from the area each year and you will find some of the granite of Sidobre on the Champs Elysee or La Grande Arche de la Defense.

Guided tours are available :
Office de Tourisme "Sidobre, paysage sculpté"
Tél. +33 (0)5 63 74 63 38
Fax +33 (0)5 63 73 04 57

La route du Pastel :

At the turn of the XVth and XVIth century, the region around Toulouse owed its Golden Era to the culture and commerce of “the Pastel”. 40,000-60,000 tonnes of dye were exported to London, Anvers, Hambourg….
There is a 200 kilometre circuit that passes through Toulouse, Le Lauragais, Le Puylaurentais, Le Vaurais, L’Albigeois, L’Aude Calabraise and L’Ariege, throughout which the history of Occitania can be seen from the era of the Cathars to today.
The Le Chateau de Magrin (XIIth Siecle) has been transformed into a Pastel Museum where you can see a dryer for Pastel, a Pastel grinder and a Pastel mill.

Visits and conferences each afternoon,
Tél. +33 (0)5 63 70 63 82
Fax +33 (0)5 63 70 51 80

Le Pays Cathares :

Les chemins de Compostel :

Les Abbayes :

Les pigeonniers :

The region has in excess of 1,500 pigeonniers (old pidgeon houses).

http://www.multimania.com/fcabrol/Pige_pr.htm

Toulouse :

http://www.ot-toulouse.fr/English/decouvrir/setdecouv.html

Le musée Lautrec :

http://www.mairie-albi.fr/arthisto/lieux/museetl.html

Carcassonne :

http://www.carcassonne-tourisme.com