Cordes-sur-Ciel Holidays – What to see and do in and around Cordes

If you are holidaying in the Tarn region then a visit to Cordes is an absolute must. No matter which direction you come from, the sudden sight of the town built high on top of an isolated knoll, will always take your breath away. If you visit early or late season you may be lucky enough to see why it was renamed in 1993, from Cordes to Cordes-sur-Ciel. Low cloud and mist often shroud the valleys in this area and at this time Cordes appears above the mist and seems to float in the sky, bathed in sunlight.

Cordes is a large and amazingly well preserved bastide with dozens of narrow streets to explore. For the photographer there are photo opportunities at every turn of a corner as gothic archways frame beautiful timber framed buildings.

Since the golden ages,in the 15C, the fortified town has preserved an extraordinary medieval architectural heritage including significant remains of fortifications and, above all, a collection of magnificient Gothic style houses unique in France.

Find out more about Cordes-sur-Ciel history here…

THINGS TO DO

Tourist Office
Visit the Tourist Office of Cordes who have now moved to the place Jeanne Ramel-Cals near place de la Bouteillerie, which is on the roundabout when you first arrive in Cordes.

Walk into the Maison du Pays Cordais
By the tourist office, you can enter the Maison du Pays Cordais, which displays regional products (Gaillac Wine, Honey, Sheep’s cheese, Truffles, Goose, Veal of Ségala, Ducks etc) as well as the work of local artists and craftsmen (wrought-iron sculptors, glass blowers etc.), and get a feel for the wide-ranging talents of the inhabitants of Cordes.

Have a walk around Cordes
The Tourist Office publishes an excellent Walking Guide of Cordes in various languages (for €4.5). This guide explains in depth the history of Cordes and gives a full explanation and maps of the colour-coded walks :

Yellow sun : The Perched medieval town
Blue key : The Town and surroundings
Orange hand : Traders and Craftsmen
Pink church : Gothic buildings
Purple cross : History and religion
Green licorn : Legends and tales

Depending on your particular interest, you can choose one of these walks. Alternatively, if you are an extremely fit person or passionate about Cordes, you can do them all!

Have a walk in the Jardin des Paradis
The Jardin des Paradis was designed by Eric Ossart and Arnaud Maurières, landscape architects, but is now run by an association. This paradise at the foot of Cordes welcomes visitors and offers them a chance to relax. The garden comprises of a collection of areas, each with a different atmosphere, theme or colour to entice all your senses.

Jardin des Paradis
Le Fourmiguier
Rue des Jardins
81170 Cordes-sur-Ciel

Tel : 05 63 56 29 77

Costs : €5 for adults, €2.50 for children aged 8 to 17, free for children under 8.

Open from 29th April to 7th October.

Until mid-June :
Weekdays : 1400 to 1800
Sundays : 1100 to 1800

From mid-June to August :
Everyday : 1030 to 1900

From September to October:
Weekdays : 1400 to 1800
Sundays : 1100 to 1800
Closed on Mondays

PLACES TO VISIT
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Maison du Grand Fauconnier (opened November 2006)
The Maison du Grand Fauconnier, built in grey sandstone, is the most recent of the gothic residences in Cordes. It has six arches on the ground floor and six bays on the floors above. In the interior courtyard, note the spiral staircase tower that in the 15th century was transformed by adding lattice windows. As well as the the Town Hall, it houses the Museum which is divided into 5 exhibition rooms:

Embroidery Room – In the Basement
In the showroom is exhibited one of the first mechanical frames, called a Swiss frame and threading machine, and an important collection of embroideries, produced in Cordes to decorate house-linen and women’s clothes.

Room Yves Brayer (1907-1990)
This room exhibits a donation made by the artist to his town: large oil paintings, gouaches, tapestries and lithographs. Yves Brayer, who stayed in Cordes, was one of the most representative artists of French figurative painting. He was at the beginning of Cordes’ artistic expansion after the Second World War

Room André Verdet

He was a poet,and sculptor of the stupendous florescence of Modern Art. In memory of his stay in Cordes during the sixties, he offered his town about fifty works of famous artists (as Picasso, Léger, Fromanger) to whom he was first a friend and a confidant.

Room Baskine (1905-1968) and Meunier (1924-1995)
Maurice Baskine was a surrealist artist, and Francois Meunier from Cordes was one his 11 pupils who he gathered together for the COMME exhibition in Paris in 1948.

Room Gagnaire (1911-1997)
Aline Gagnaire was an innovating contemporary artist.

A selection of their paintings, as well as the work of other regional and international artists, are exhibited in these magnificent rooms.

Cost : €3.50

Musée d’art moderne & contemporain
Maison du Grand Fauconnier
81770 Cordes sur Ciel
Tel : 05 63 56 14 79

Charles-Portal Art and History Museum
This museum displays a collection of documents and other items about the history of Cordes and its area throughout the prehistorical, Gallo-Roman, Merovingian and medieval periods. Among those documents are the precious «Libre Ferrat» of Cordes (14th century), odd manuscript «The Oracle of the Apostles» (13th century), the Foundation Charter (1222), which are the real testimony of the town’s foundation.

Historama
More than 80 life-size waxworks retrace the life in a middle-class (Bourgeoise) house in the middle-ages. It is a fascinating and educational visit for the whole family. The commentaries are by hand-held audio guides in most languages. The visit takes about 30 minutes and costs €4.

Historama
20 Grande Rue Raymond VII
81170 Cordes sur Ciel
Tel : 05 63 56 25 33

Musée de l’Art du Sucre
In 1988 Yves Thuriès opened the “laboratoire de pâtisserie”, where his cakes were created, in the Maison Prunet, at the top of Cordes. This is in one of the most beautiful Gothic houses in Cordes which can be recognized by the mauve sandstone used in the building of the façade , the three arches on the ground floor and the three groups of windows on the floor above. In this house is where Monsieur Prunet discovered in 1866 a curious manuscript “The Fate of the Apostles” a collection of allegories from the 13th century.

One year after in 1989, the Musée de l’Art du Sucre opened: in a faboulous setting with artistic lighting, glass display cases of all sizes and shapes allow visitors to discover many creations of exceptional masterpieces, many of which were shown at national and international food contests.

Biography of Yves Thuriès here…

Shopping
If you love local art and craft shops then you will be totally spoilt in Cordes. There is just about every type of Potter, Artisit, Glassmaker you could imagine crowded into this little town.

There is a weekly market on Saturdays morning on place de la Bouteillerie.

Truffle market during the season (usually January to March) on Saturdays from 1030 to 1100 on Place de la Bouteillerie. A representative from the truffle trade will be around to answer your questions.

Festivals
There are numerous festivals held throughout the season some of which literally take over the town.

Festival of Responchons
Medieval Festival of the Grand Fauconnier
Classical Music Festival
Jousting Tournaments

A fun one for all the family is the Medieval Festival of the Grand Fauconnier where visiters are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing in medieval costume and then enjoying the spectacles of street theatre, demonstrations of medieval crafts and also see local birds of prey. For music lovers then the Classical Music Festival is a must, with concerts held throughout the town in exquisite settings. Children tend to really love the Jousting Tournaments held on the outskirts of the town where they can cheer on their favourite.

More details about events & festivals in Cordes-sur-Ciel here…

Eating Out
There are a good variety of restaurants in Cordes, where you take your partner for a real treat. There are also some good value restaurants for lunch with children under the Halle, where they can run around.

For a really romantic evening meal you can’t beat the atmosphere in Cordes at night and there are a lot to choose from, perhaps a special meal in the Michelin acclaimed LeGrand Ecuyer,or maybe even a medieval banquet at l’Escuelle des Chevaliers.

Le Grand Ecuyer
79 Grande Rue Raymond VII
Tel : 05 63 53 79 50
Owned by Yves Thuiries and has 1 Michelin star

Hostellerie du Vieux Cordes and Bistrot Tony’n’Ty
21 rue Saint-Michel
Tel : 05 63 53 79 20

The restaurant du Vieux Cordes also has 1 Michelin star. This restaurant is also owned by Yves Thuriès but is managed by Jean-Pierre Cledes

For an experience of medieval cooking :

L’Escuelle des Chevaliers
Michel et Claude Arquey
87 Grand Rue Raymond VII
Tel : 05 63 53 14 40

Nearby
Have a drive in the surrounding countryside
The walking guide also gives maps and directions for 5 drives starting from Cordes:

Art Treasures 70 km
Vineyards and Fortified Towns on the plain 85 km
Grésigne Forest and Chateaux 75 km
The Limestone Plateau and the Cérou Valley 85 km
From the Albi Region to the Rouergue 75 km

A little way north of Cordes-sur-Ciel at Ginals is the attractive 12th century Beaulieu Abbey.