Heritage & High
Tech in SW France
5 days / 4 nights
This is a high-tech tour which is very popular with engineers of all stripes
as it takes participants into the heart of the Airbus construction plant
at Toulouse, right on to the A380 assembly line before whisking them out
to the French countryside for an inspection of Norman Foster's architectural
masterpiece – the viaduct of Millau.
As an historical extra, the tour stops in Albi where the group can examine
the largest brick building in the world – the XIIth century Sainte
Cécile cathedral.
Day
1 :
TOULOUSE
Guided tour of the Airbus assembly line. The Airbus A380, largest
passenger airliner in the world, at your feet! The Airbus factory
lies at the northern end of a great swathe of land to the east
of Toulouse known as 'aerospace valley': this contains Airbus,
Astrium, Alcatel Space and the CNES (Europe's equivalent to 'NASA')
and a number of Aerospace universities (ENAC, Sup-Aero).
Bang in the middle of this, in Toulouse's eastern suburbs, is
the Space Centre - le Cité de l'Espace. The Space centre
contains a wealth of exhibits, interactive resources, planetarium,
IMAX
cinema and other space-related games and documents to keep young
and old entranced for hours.
Dinner & Overnight in Toulouse, Hotel Mercure Saint Georges
(or similar)
Day 2: TOULOUSE / ALBI / ROQUEFORT/ MILLAU / PEYRELEAU
Drive over through the Gaillac vineyards to Albi, magnificent pink-bricked
town on the banks of the Tarn. Admire the fortified cathedral
of Ste Cecile, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, before
touring the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in the old Bishop's Palace,
imposing fortress (XIIIth century).
On the road to Millau you’ll pass the village of Roquefort
and its famous caves. Visit of the”Papillon” or the
'Société' caves to discover the secrets of the Roquefort
cheese.
Overnight in your hotel at Peyreleau.
Le Grand Hotel de la Muse et du Rozier ***
For over a century, Le Grand Hôtel de la Muse et du Rozier
has stood as one of the most famous names in the Gorges-du-Tarn
area.
Back in 1900, young Touring-Club-de-France chose a hamlet called
La Muse to build a hotel able to entertain the growing amount
of tourists (mostly British at the time). La Muse proved to be
a perfect
location. Close to Peyreleau, in a beautiful landscape, La Muse
is where the small river La Jonte mixes with the wild waters
of the Tarn.
Rooms:
38 rooms and suites on its 4 floors, with elevator access..
The suite comes with twin-bedrooms, a must for families.
All the
rooms are equipped with satellite TV, telephone, bathrooms, hair
dryers – and separated toilets for most of them.
All of our 38 rooms and suites offer a rather magnificent view
on Tarn and Capluc Rock. Just stand now and then at the balcony,
and who knows, you’ll catch sight of a doe, of a deer, on
the other bank!
Restaurant & Bar :
An autentic french cuisine which innovates when necessary while
always using fresh local produce.
In summer, meals are served on the terrace over-looking the river
or beside the pool.
Leisure & Services:
The hotel has its own private beach and direct access to a safe
spot of the river. When river water feels a bit too cold, it
is time to try the heated pool, a few feet away. Cosy deck chairs
will help the tanning process.
Internet Services, Wi-Fi/Wireless LAN
Day 3: THE TARN GORGES
After
breakfast we cross the Jonte gorge to get to the plateau of Méjean
to visit the cavern of Ayen Armand. Discovered in 1897, the cavern
comprises just one enormous space into which
one could place the entire church of Notre Dame de Paris! More
than 400 stalagmites dot the cave, some reaching 30 metres in height.
Following the course of the Tarn River for 50 kilometres, the
Tarn Gorges are the deepest gorges to be found anywhere
in Europe. Perhaps
the best of all views is from Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac,
15 km north of Le Rosier, at the so called 'point sublime' which
has very far-reaching views down the canyon, with cliffs on either
side soaring to over 500 metres.
There are also several attractive villages in scenic locations
along the route to visit, including Sainte Enimie and St Chely
du Tarn, and the 'built in a cliff village' of Pougnadoires.
Dinner and Overnight in your hotel at Peyreleau.
Day 4: MILLAU / CARCASSONNE / TOULOUSE (304 km)
Breakfast at your hotel.
Visit to Millau and its viaduct (20 minutes run from the hotel).
The Viaduct of Millau: Tallest in the world and taller than the
Eiffel Tower, slung across the valley of the river Tarn, the
Viaduct de Millau, designed by Norman Foster, was designed to
take the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferrand south to Beziers.
The Millau Viaduct is currently the longest cable-stayed bridge
in the world. It has a steel deck, rather than the more usual
concrete roadbed.
Carcassonne : Visit of the citadel which dominates the old town.
It's a town within a town, a maze of narrow cobbled streets within
severe ramparts of thick walls and turreted towers, but bustling
with life and colour.
Dinner and Overnight in Toulouse, Hotel Mercure Saint Georges (or
similar)
Day 5: TOULOUSE
Breakfast at your hotel.
2
hours walking tour “Discovering Toulouse” : this
tour offers a comprehensive overview of the main sites and monuments.
During the tour, you will be able to admire the Capitole town hall
and Saint-Sernin basilica, as well as many churches and private
mansions, and appreciate wonderful views along the Garonne River.
End of our services.
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