When summer arrives, there are days we'd like to spend behind closed shutters. But rather than staying cooped up between the stone walls of an old house, here are some great ways to get outside without breaking a sweat. In the cool of a garden, near a body of water, or at the night market, here are all the best ways to enjoy summer around Gaillac, Casterlnau, Penne, Rabastens, and Giroussens.
Swimming spot
We take a dip
À Vere-Gresigne et Aigueleze, the little ones enjoy yet another slide on the water slides of the leisure centers which become their favorite playground. Meanwhile, the parents take the opportunity to cool off with a peaceful trip in a canoe or paddle. The weather is good, we feel like fish in water!
To work on your crawl or simply do a few lengths for fun, the supervised swimming pools in Tarn are open throughout the summer season.
At the swimming pool in Lisle-sur-Tarn, you can even take part in aquagym classes! And to sunbathe with your feet in the sand, head to the beaches, the one on the Viaur in Laguépie offers several pools for young and old. While going down to the Rabastens beach, its wilder side is completely exotic.
The Aqua Park in Aiguelèze
The Aiguelèze leisure center, with its swimming pool in the Tarn (free access) and its Aqua Parc are perfect for an extra refreshment! More than 2000 m² of inflatable aquatic structures await you: giant slide, swing, rope bridge...
Culture struck
We cultivate ourselves in the cool, in museums
In the heart of the air-conditioned Tarn museums, we enjoy a cultural visit that feeds our thirst for knowledge and our desire for freshness. Gaillac Museum of Fine Arts introduces us to masterpieces spanning artistic trends. From neoclassicism to impressionism, there is something for every style! Giroussens Ceramic Center, it is the art of gesture that we discover through the creations of artists, potters, painter-sculptors and ceramists whose often ancestral techniques reflect the history of heritage.
Heat doesn't necessarily mean low appetite, so head to the Chocolate Art Museum from Lisle-sur-Tarn which revives the taste buds and appeals to the sense of detail through works as surprising as they are tempting. The Museum of Sugar and Chocolate Arts, for its part, features masterpieces made entirely of sugar and chocolate inspired by tales and legends. Enough to make your mouth water Cordes sur Ciel !
The selection of museums to visit with children
Under the lime tree promenade
We're taking it easy in the garden
- To Martels Gardens in Giroussens, we discover an oasis of freshness where an exotic and aquatic greenhouse, a banana plantation, a mini farm and more than 2000 species of plants coexist, inviting you to dream and relax. This English-style floral park with Asian inspiration takes you on a journey to other horizons; it is no coincidence that it is ranked among the most beautiful in France!
- Au Garden of Paradise in Cordes sur Ciel, we enjoy this pretty space with oriental influences on the first fortified terraces of the medieval city. With our senses awakened, we marvel at the creative dialogue between art and plants. The journey begins from a panoramic terrace shaded by sails, with further on the "gourmet enclosure", where we can smell and taste berry, aromatic and exotic plants.
Basket in hand
We do our shopping
Between Gaillac, Penne, Salvagnac, Couffouleux, Saint-Beauzile, Vieux, and Rivières, there's plenty to do. Night markets are a tradition here, even in winter, that's saying something! Here's a quick recap of the evening markets throughout the year and during the summer. 🧺
All year
Monday is Saint Beauzile with 100% organic and local products. We take the opportunity to eat a bite on site: tables and benches are available.
Le Tuesday At the end of the afternoon, Noctambio invites fans of short supply chains and organic products to do their little shopping on Tuesdays at Gaillac.
Le Wednesday it is at Couffouleux that it happens and the Thursday evening direction Penne and its organic markets in the heart of the village.
Summer special
In summer, we take out our baskets at nightfall to meet the artisans and producers of the Tarn. Monday, the market of Rivières makes us fall for some treats. The Tuesday, we taste with music on the Place du Griffoul Gaillac or we make new discoveries Severe. The Wednesday, we let ourselves be tempted by the rustic atmosphere of Salvagnac where producers combine rural authenticity and simple pleasures.
We take advantage of the evenings to go out
it's happening at the estate
Aperitif concerts
Come taste wines, listen to music and dance all summer long at the aperitif concerts at the winegrowers from Gaillac. They know how to welcome, their bright smiles fill us with joy, welcome to their home! Great tables, great encounters, gourmet discoveries, partying in the vineyards, that's good with Gaillac winegrowers!
Find aperitif concerts and all the events around Gaillac wine
Climb aboard a barge on the Tarn for a very special aperitif! Taste his latest vintages with one of the Gaillac winemakers. Between Albi and Gaillac, he tells us about his job with passion. And between two sips, he shows us the marvelous view of the Sainte-Cécile cathedral. To finish, we take a little tour of the local tapas platter to accompany our glass of wine, all of which go so well together in the mouth.
In the cool
Evening guided tours
Embark on an incredible adventure with the night-time costumed tours in the Tarn! Puycelsi, Castelnau-de-Montmiral or Cordes sur Ciel, the fortified towns and hilltop villages reveal all their secrets. Follow, by lantern light, the guide in period costume who passionately recounts the legends and thrilling stories specific to the region.
Visite de Cordes sur Ciel : les monstrueuses nocturnes d’Ellebore
Castel’noctambules : la visite guidée de Castelnau-de-Montmiral en soirée
Visite guidée de Gaillac en soirée avec Marianne et sa besace
Themes
