Montauban Travel Guide

Montauban

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City Introduction

Montauban is a town located at the confluence of the rivers Tarn and Tescou. Montauban has around 60,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. The city was founded in 1144 when Count Alphonse Jourdain of Toulouse gave it extensive rights. During the first centuries, there were many different rulers in Montauban, whose fortresses were destroyed by Cardinal Richelieu’s troops in 1629. During World War II, the town became known as the place where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stored for a period.

The town center of Montauban itself is worth seeing and atmospheric for a nice walk. You can, for example, start at the elegant square, Place Nationale, which is in the center of the town. There are uniform redstone buildings with arcades around the square. From here you can walk to the modern urban space at the Esplanade des Fontaines or through the old town to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, Montauban’s cathedral, which was built from 1692.

It is also obvious to go for a stroll in Montauban’s parks and other recreational areas. The botanical garden, Jardin des Plantes, is close to the city’s cathedral, and from here you can walk on to the river Tarn, which flows west of the center of Montauban. As the entrance to the old town is the 14th-century bridge Pont Vieux, from which you get a nice look at Montauban’s profile. The bridge was completed in 1335 with a length of 205 meters and a height of 23 meters.

At the eastern end of the Pont Vieux stands the former residence of the Counts of Toulouse and the Bishops of Montauban. Today, the site is set up as the Musée Ingres, which is an interesting museum. The museum building mainly dates from the 17th century, but some parts are older. At the museum you can see several works by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and Antoine Bourdelle, who both came from Montauban.

Other Attractions

Day Trips

Toulouse

Toulouse with the beautiful Capitole is the center of the charming metropolis, which is located on the banks of the River Garonne. Beautiful, red brick buildings, large churches, museums and the Garonne bridges are great sights to see in the city. It is worth visiting it to experience both culture and history.

Toulouse’s waterways are interesting. The city is located in the Midi area between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and the Canal du Midi canal starts from the river Garonne right here on its way towards the Mediterranean. The shoreline on the banks provides beautiful walks through large parts of Toulouse, and along the Garonne itself the stroll is also very nice as well.

More about Toulouse

Geolocation

In short

Overview of Montauban

In today’s street network in Limoges, you can still see both cities, which were merged in 1792. Close to Vienne, the old Cité was located in the streets around the city’s cathedral. Cathédrale Saint-Étienne was built from 1273, and the large church was not completed until 1888. You can see the church’s beautiful renaissance lectorium in the interior, and on the outside, you can notice the characteristic church tower, which is a distinctive part of the city’s skyline.

About the Limoges travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The Limoges travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the French city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Limoges is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.