View of the city and the Pont Neuf

Just look at this view! I bet you can’t wait to capture it with your camera! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s definitely true here. Get ready to be blown away by the beauty of Albi, a city famous for its distinctive red-brick medieval architecture. Colors change depending on the season; one could say Albi is like a chameleon – sometimes it’s a deep red, and others a soft pink or ochre. So let me tell you a bit more about what you’re seeing. Perched on a hill overlooking the Tarn River, right in front of you, is the Episcopal City of Albi. It speaks volumes about the former political and economic power of the city’s bishops. You can see it stretches from the turret of the Toulouse-Lautrec high school, where famous figures like Jean Jaurès and Georges Pompidou once studied, all the way to the Place du Château, aka Castle Square, in the Castelviel district. The crown jewels are, of course, the magnificent Berbie Palace and the stunning Saint-Cécile Cathedral, both towering above you on the right. They’ve been both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2010. To get there, you’ll need to cross the Tarn River using one of the two bridges beside you. On your right, you have the Pont-Vieux, the older of the two bridges. On your left is its more modern sidekick, the Pont Neuf, aka New Bridge. Built in 1867 with the arrival of the railway, this bridge has gone by a few different names. It was originally called Napoléon Bridge, and then renamed Strasbourg Bridge before finally settling on its current name, Pont Neuf. But you might also hear it referred to as the Bridge of August 22, 1944 (Pont du 22 août 1944), in reference to the date of the battle fought there between resistance fighters and the retreating German soldiers of the Wehrmacht, to liberate Albi. Sadly, this fight wasn’t without casualties. A dozen people lost their lives and there’s a monument up at the front of the bridge, ensuring their memory lives on. Alright, that’s enough history for now! Time to start snapping those photos! And as for that little pillar with binoculars, it’s a Timescope virtual reality terminal. It projects a cool 3D reconstruction showing how the Pont-Vieux has changed throughout history. It’s free and only lasts about 5 minutes. It’s definitely worth checking out, and it runs until the end of 2025!