Moissac Lauzerte Auvillar Roman art, water and fruit

Cloître de l'abbaye de Moissac

Cloître de l'abbaye de Moissac, CRT Occitanie_Patrice THEBAULT

Moissac

Moissac, D.Viet / CRT Occitanie

Lauzerte

Lauzerte, ADT Tarn-et-Garonne

Auvillar

Auvillar, Joël Damase / ADT 82

Why visit Moissac, Lauzerte and Auvillar?

  • A UNESCO World Heritage abbey.
  • A major stage of the Santiago de Compostela routes (Puy trail) with Lauzerte and Auvillar.
  • A Ville d’Art et d’Histoire with rich architectural heritage.
  • At the meeting point between the Canal des Deux Mers and the Tarn River.
  • Landscapes where orchards and AOP Chasselas de Moissac vineyards reign supreme.
GSO Moissac Lauzerte Auvillar

Best things to do

Saint-Pierre de Moissac Abbey

Moissac Abbey is a major site for Romanesque art in France. It is listed by UNESCO as part of the Santiago de Compostela routes. Thousands of pilgrims stop here every year to visit its tympanum and cloister. Now it's your turn to see the details of the 76 columns in the cloister that was consecrated in 1100. Note how expressive the sculptures on the main doorway are. Soak up the beauty and serenity of an architectural site that is exceptional in both its construction quality and conservation standard, unique in the world!

L'abbaye Saint-Pierre

L'abbaye Saint-Pierre, D.Viet / CRT Occitanie

Great ideas for Moissac Lauzerte Auvillar

Head to Moissac, Auvillar & Lauzerte, #GrandSiteOccitanie, for some unforgettable adventures! Here are some top tips from Véronique, who grows Chasselas grapes.

Architectural tour

In Art Deco Moissac

Moissac will amaze you with one of the highest concentrations of Art Déco-style buildings in South West France! A dramatic event brought it about: the Tarn flooded in 1930 and major reconstruction work followed. Explore this early 20th century heritage on a 2km urban trail. From the Sainte-Blanche area to the tastebud-tingling Kiosque de l’Uvarium via the Hall de Paris … gables, metal hinges and murals create a very unique architectural landscape.

Le kiosque de l'Uvarium

Le kiosque de l'Uvarium, ADT Tarn et Garonne

Holidays on the water's edge

Tarn River or Canal des Deux Mers?

Watch the Tarn River meet the Canal des Deux Mers in Moissac. On the Tarn, go for a boat, canoe or stand-up paddle trip. See the wild flora and fauna. Gaze at the Pont Napoléon bridge. On the canal, sail an electric boat or walk along the towpath to Cacor canal bridge: a spectacular 19th century structure enabling the canal to span the Tarn. Amateur sailors will love the port in the town centre for a foodie or cultural break. 

Le Tarn et le Pont-Canal

Le Tarn et le Pont-Canal, D.Viet / CRT Occitanie

Don't miss

Try AOP Chasselas grapes, the first fresh French fruit to be awarded an AOC. This grape is inseparable from Moissac's identity, its landscapes and gourmet reputation.

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Le Canal des Deux Mers

Le Canal des Deux Mers, CRT Occitanie_Patrice THEBAULT

Moissac by bike

A slice of paradise

Moissac brings families and keen cyclists alike its great collection of bike paths. Climb up hills, escape in vineyards and orchards that make the town the fruit capital of Occitania. The ultimate bike path in south-west France, the Canal des Deux Mers Green Bike Path runs through central Moissac. Make the most of it! Pedal in the shade on the flat canalside towards Bordeaux or Toulouse and pass Cacor canal bridge, Saint-Jacques swing bridge and more.

Moissac and its surroundings

Must-see villages : Lauzerte and Auvillar

Within 30 mins of Moissac, visit two of the Most Beautiful Villages in France and stages on the Santiago de Compostela routes: Lauzerte, one of the best examples of a bastide in Occitania, and Auvillar with its circular granary hall and medieval houses. 

Auvillar

Auvillar, Christine Chabanette

Worth the detour

Head 20 mins out of Moissac to Belleperche Cistercian Abbey on the banks of the Garonne. It is home to an amazing table arts museum and lots of events.

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The power of Moissac Abbey

Moissac Abbey's masterpiece is its entrance that gives its all to the people and tells them so many things! Explore the Moissac fief of the very wealthy and very powerful medieval monks from the 9th century.

Video 3:59 © Des Racines et des Ailes.

How to get there

Moissac is in the Tarn-et-Garonne region, 30 mins from Montauban and 55 mins from Toulouse.

  • By car: on the A62 motorway (Bordeaux-Toulouse route) or the A20 from Paris.
  • By train: you can reach Moissac station from Toulouse in 50 mins and Paris in 4 hrs.
  • By plane: the closest airport is Toulouse-Blagnac (70km).

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