Tarn is a French department of Occitanie region. It is laid on 5 758 km² in the Midi-Pyrenees region that is positioned in the south-west of France. Its name comes from the Tarn River.
Climate
The climate of Tarn is influenced both by the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates. It is much drier than the one of Aquitaine and Dordogne and at the same time it is not as hot as it is in Languedoc and Provence. The rainfall during May and October is average 63mm per month. It falls mainly in sharp bursts and usually during night. The average temperature during the day is between 20 and 25 degrees in May and early October and 28-32 degrees in July and August. The best time of the year in tarn is from the middle of May till the end of June.
Geography
La Bastide that is positioned 300 meters above the sea level has cooling breezes in the hot weather.
In 1906 the population of the area was 330,533. Later in 1999 it became 343,402. On the north and east is the department of Aveyron, on south-east is Herault, on south is Aude, on south-west and west is Haute-Garonne and on the north-west is Tarn-et-Garonne. The slope of the territory is from the east to the west and as a whole it is hilly.
The highest point in the department is the Pic de Montalet which altitude is about 4150 ft. There are some other hills but they are not that high. On the southern border is positioned the Montagne Noire that takes its name from the forests on the northern slope.
The hills are limestone and sandstone and they are planted with vines and fruit trees. There are also alluvial valleys that are extremely fertile. Most of the territory of the department belongs to the basin of the Garonne.
Towns
Some of the major towns in the department are the capital Albi and also Castres, Gaillac, Lavaur, Mazamet and Cordes.
Many property buyers are interested in investing in this department. It is because of the vicinity to Toulouse.
Tarn is famous for its climate and for the fact that it is still not full with English residents. This is a farming region that is rich in gourmet traditions, beautiful villages, vineyards, orchards and gardens. You can have a dinner in Relais-Château or in some other local inn. You can enjoy the foie gras, cassoulet, roquefort and drink local wines such as Fronton, Gaillac and Cahors. In Albi you can even see paintings of Henri Toulouse Lautrec famous who is a son of the city, and the monumental Cathedral Saint Cecile.
This department was formed in 1790 consisting of the three territories Albi, Castres and Lavaur that were part of the province of Languedoc.
History
The history of this area dates back with the rise of Cathars in the 13 th Century and after that proceeding with the Albigensian Crusade and the devastating Wars of Religion in the 16th and 17th Century . This area has a turbulent history. Even now a visitor can see the Umbrella Pines that are a sing of refugee for the Huguenots in the time of religious wars. You can visit the hilltop villages like Cordes sur Ciel representing bastions of protection for the Cathars .
Gastronomy
On the markets in the area you can find a lot of locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats and cheese. Very special are the Toulouse sausages.
In this area you can find different wines – being whites, reds, rosè, sparkling, perle, and the amazing sweet or doux wines which can came as an aperitif to the foie gras.
Useful information
Tourism office in Tarn
www.tourisme-tarn.com
Maps of Tarn
www.ign.fr
www.maps.google.fr
Travel from the UK
Easyjet flies from London Gatwick to Toulouse.
Ryanair flies from Dublin, Liverpool and East Midlands to Carcassonne, and from London Stansted to Rodez.
Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property in Tarn. We have a large network of estate agents in Tarn. All of them are registered French estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, villa, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Tarn matching your requirements. To find out more about our selection of properties for sale in Tarn do not hesitate to contact us.