Europe > France > Castres: Weather, Climate and Travel Guide

French city of Tarn, Castres has a little more than 41 000 inhabitants and it is built on the banks of the River Agout. Step on the way to Compostela, the city is also known to be the birthplace of Jean Jaurès. There are some remarkable monuments, such as the abbey Saint-Benoît, several mansions such as the hotel of Nayrac of the 16th century, or the Town Hall which is housed in the former episcopal palace designed by Mansart, overlooking gardens in the shape of lily flowers designed by Le Nôtre. You can also visit the museum dedicated to Jaurès, and the eponymous square which is the central square of the city, decorated with fountains, where the market takes place four times a week, as well as the performances of the Festival Extravadanses in summer, and the market Christmas in December. To see also: the municipal theater and its rococo style, inaugurated in 1904, inspired by the Paris Opera; the banks of the Agout, with their row of multicolored houses where formerly tanners, dyers and weavers lived; the carillon of the church of Notre-Dame de la Platé, with its 15 original bells, to which 9 were added in 1976, and another 9 in 1988; the Goya Museum, or museum of Hispanic Art, offering the second most important collection of the country on this theme, housed in the former episcopal palace. We move to Castres with free buses, and we reach the city either by train that provides 8 daily connections with Toulouse, or by plane thanks to an airport located on the Causse which offers flights to Paris, and also to Ajaccio in high season, or of course by road from Toulouse, trip in a little less than 1:30.