This village in the Tarn, in the Occitanie region, is known for its promontory which, often surrounded by a sea of clouds, gives the impression of floating above the heavens. An almost mystical view that attracted pilgrims and then artists seduced, in particular, by its medieval and gothic architecture. One of the highest places of European heritage to discover without further delay.
With 800 years of history, Cordes-sur-Ciel was one of the first bastides of the Midi-Pyrénées and, between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, experienced a certain prosperity with the trade of cloth, silk and leather. Today it is a real open-air museum with its ochre sandstone facades decorated with dragons and strange characters giving it a mysterious atmosphere.
Stage of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages, in the 20th century it is rather the artists who flocked there to find inspiration: painters, writers, ceramists, sculptors... fall under the charm of this village of 800 inhabitants and its tortuous streets where the author of The Stranger particularly liked to wander.
The traveler who, from the terrace of Cordes, looks at the summer night knows that he does not need to go further and that, if he wants, the beauty here, day after day, will take him away from all solitude.
Located in a natural area of great ecological interest with its rich flora and fauna, this treasure of gothic architecture is also appreciated for its art craftsmen's stores, its market hall built in 1350 under which the "well" of Cordes is located (at a depth of about 100 meters) and for its secular houses with richly ornamented facades such as the one of the Grand Fauconnier (Great Falconer).
After having reached this steep relief on foot and admired from its summit the peaceful Cérou valley (often covered in the morning by a dense mist from which only the summit emerges, a unique experience!), you can then visit the Maison Prunet and its "Féerie de l'Art du sucre" (Sugar Art Fairy) or stroll in the Garden of Paradises.
And during this well-deserved break, don't hesitate to taste the croquants de Cordes, these tasty little dry almond cakes that you will only find in this village that was awarded the title of favorite village of the French in 2014.
Valérie from Comme des Français
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