Brens is anchored in the heart of the Gaillac vineyards and faces Gaillac, on the other side of the Tarn. Easily accessible from the road services, it is a popular stopover and recognized by the “Village étape” label.
Brens, just cross the bridge
Labeled “Village étape”, it is the entire municipality, traders, hoteliers, restaurateurs, local elected officials, tourist office, who are committed to the quality of services and reception.
In 413, the Visigoths settled in Narbonne Gaul and Toulouse became their capital. The name Brens comes from the addition of "ens" specific to their culture to the original name of the Gallic village Bero.
Through the ages
Of the original castle, only a large tower remains, unmissable in the village, the rest of the stones of the destroyed building having been used to build the bridge connecting the village to Gaillac. Finally, the church also finds its origins in the 10th century. Completely rebuilt in the 16th century, it became the parish church of Saint-Eugène.
The Château de Labourélie, for its part, brings back to life the splendor of the great estates of the 17th century, where the nobility owned the private mansions in the city and the large agricultural and wine estates in the countryside. At the time owned by the Combettes de Labourélie family, the Revolution would then take a sharp look at the owners, leading them to the scaffold.
The walking paths
All around Brens, follow the walking paths (the Tourist Office will give you all the details); these easy hiking routes, accessible to most people, are dotted with dovecotes, old buildings, beautiful landscapes; the flora and fauna are to be discovered at every turn.
The Lovers' Path
In the Middle Ages, the Tuile bridge allowed people to cross the Rieucourt stream to reach the cemetery and the Saint-Eugène chapel. Built in brick with a single arch, its construction dates from the 12th century. It is accessed by a hiking trail, called "the lovers' trail".
The Brens camp, a completely different story
On the other side of the Saint-Michel bridge in Gaillac, behind high walls, barracks inaccessible to the public bear witness to a painful past. The Brens Camp was created in 1939. Initially a reception center for refugees, twenty barracks were built to accommodate Belgians, Dutch and Spanish fleeing the occupied zones. 2 refugees passed through this reception center before settling in the surrounding area. During the summer of 000, the camp emptied before becoming, in November 1940, a refugee accommodation center for Spanish and foreign Jews. The conditions there deteriorated and the conditions of movement and freedom were restricted. From 1940, Brens was used as a concentration camp for women. On February 1941, 14, the 1942 women and 320 children from the Rieucros camp arrived by truck from Gaillac station. It will be the antechamber of death for many of them, deported to Auschwitz.
From June to July 1944, the Nazis searched the camp to lock up the "Mongols" who were auxiliaries of the Russian army, before the liberation of Gaillac in August 1945. Finally, suspected collaborators were locked up there until their trial.
