An hour north of Toulouse, the city of Montauban in the Tarn-et-Garonne Department shares its neighbor’s graceful brick architecture.
Almost everything is made of this red material, giving the city a lovely pink glow. And in the brickwork, you will learn the stories of the siege and the battles on these streets during the Religious War when Montauban resolutely protests. Cross the medieval Pont Vieux, go for coffee on the Place Nationale in an arc-shape and get to know famous artists born in the city, like Ingres and Antoine Bourdelle. Discover the best things to do in Montauban.
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1. Place Nationale
Like all medieval bastide towns, Montauban has a central arc-shaped square, but this is one of the more rituals than usual. There are two layers of arc walkways below the striking brick townhouse.
The explanation for this is that a fire destroyed square wooden houses in the 17th century; it was the damage that King Louis XIII gave in to help rebuild. Wooden buildings were banned and as a result this unified and very atmospheric meeting place.
Cafes, bars, and restaurants are tucked under the arches, and their tables spread out onto the square. And if finally, an early riser tried to catch the small market here every morning.
2. Musée Ingres
Toward the end of his life, famous 19th-century artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres donated his work and personal possessions to Montauban, the city where he was born.
Eventually, the collection was moved into the city’s 17th-century Episcopal Palace, with four floors dedicated to the work of Ingres, his students, art from the 15th to the 19th centuries and archaeology from a variety of periods and places.
There are more than 50 paintings that Ingres have acquired in his career, including replicas and originals of Raphael da Vinci. At the time of writing, the museum was temporarily closed for renovations, but since it is one of Montauban's cultural highlights, it will be one of your first ports when reopened.
Meanwhile, Ingres' paintings, will be hung at other locations in the city.
3. Centre du Patrimoine
To really delve into Montauban's history and culture, it is none other than the old Jesuits College on the Rue du Collège. Centered on the courtyard are galleries and a resource center and, all set up with engaging contemporary design and museography.
The main permanent exhibition takes you through the urban development of Montauban, conveying political, social and economic circumstances as you go. There are also artifacts from the city’s various museums to give the story more clarity.
A temporary exhibition of specific monuments of research or stages of Montauban history, and there is also an exhibition revolving around local art.
4. Port Canal
Canal de Montech is a short but sweet waterway that connects Tarn just south of Montauban with the Canal de Garonne, thereby connecting the cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux.
In the last few years, Montauban has invested a lot in its “Port Canal”, installing new berths for boats and opening an activity center and a bar that puts on live music at night. The port is just a 10-minute walk from Ville-Center and the perfect starting point for an underwater grove.
Bike hire is available here too and is dirt cheap, at €3 for half a day.
5. Tour of the Old Town
As you idle around the center of Montauban you’ll get a sense of the town’s singular architecture, which relies almost entirely on red bricks. This goes for its many Neoclassical buildings, which combine bricks with stucco, and even have balustrades, arches and statue pedestals made from bricks.
Some of the places to mark on the map are the Hôtel Mila de Cabarieu on the Rue des Cames, the elegant villa on the Rue de la Comédie, the Place Maréchal-Foch and the brick domes of the Lefranc de Pompignan hotel.
Grasping the squares are many works of century sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, another contribution of Montauban, to French culture.
6. Pont Vieux
In the 12th century, Montauban was oppressed by Montauriol Abbas in the north and gained the right to build a fortified bridge to protect the city against them. These are the origins of the bridge across the Tarn into the old city, even if it wouldn’t be completed for another 200 years.
As you cross and look up at the views of the Episcopal Palace, the Basilica of Saint-Jacques and the lush riverside, you can reflect on the violence that occurred when you trampled in the 16th and 17th centuries.
First, Huguenots took over, making Montauban protesters for 50 years until Louis XIII overthrew them in 1629. Sadly, the old fortifications were declared or erased by these conflicts to build. Episcopal Palace in 1663.
7. Musée Victor Brun
The Montauban natural history collection is located on the first floor of this aristocratic-looking palace on Place Antoine Bourdelle. Neoclassical building warranted a mention because it was once the Court des Aides, the sovereign court in Ancien Régime, involving public finance and customs.
Before you step through the doors, prepare yourself for an army of taxidermies of birds, mammals, and reptiles. There is phosphorite from Quercy back 50 million years ago and fragments of celestial Orgueil agar fell into the area in 1864.
8. Montauban Cathedral
Montauban is unusual as its cathedral isn’t one of the blockbuster attractions. The monument stands at the highest point of the city and clashes with the rest of Montauban because its facade is made of white stone instead of red bricks.
For many 16th and 16th centuries, Montauban protested. The Huguenots destroyed the old medieval church in 1560 and this classic replacement was not started until the end of the 17th century.
The scale of the building is astonishing, and the central portal is the highest in Europe, higher even than St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. To the left of the transept is a painting of Ingres, “Vœu de Louis XIII” Secret from 1824.
9. Complexe Aquatique Ingreo
Opened in 2013, the Montauban underwater center is more than just a city pool; This is the third-largest aquatic complex in France and is for tourists and locals alike. There are six indoor and outdoor pools, hammam baths, saunas, modern gyms and balcony areas where you can relax.
Kids have play pools and slide to splash about in, while grownups and serious swimmers will be crazy for the Olympic size outdoor pool. This is even open in the winter when the water is heated to more than 20 °, even when the outdoor temperature drops below 0.
10. Église Saint-Jacques
Along with Pont Vieux, this church is the only medieval monument in Montauban. The oldest part of the church is also the most spectacular; the octagonal bell-tower dates right back to the 1200s and is on top of a slightly newer base with machicolations.
The church suffered during the French Wars of Religion when its clergy was massacred and the building was used as a fortress and arsenal. If you study the facade, you can still recognize the damage caused by cannonballs when the city resisted a royal siege in 1621.
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