Introduction
Situated on a curve of the River Tarn, centred around its north bank, Gaillac dates back to the 7th century, when an abbey was founded there by Benedictine monks. It prospered for many years as a trading point for river traffic. It prospered for many years as a trading point for river traffic, particularly for transporting the wine produced in the area.
Gaillac’s main landmarks are the Abbaye Saint-Michel, whose origins are 10th century although added to in later centuries, and the 17th century Château de Foucaud set in beautiful terraced gardens by the French landscape gardener André Le Nôtre, who also designed the gardens at the Palace of Versailles.
Museums
The Musée de l’Abbaye, literally the museum in the abbey, in Place St Michel in Gaillac, tells the history of the town and its winemaking. There is also a natural history museum in the town, and a fine art museum with a collection of 19th and 20th century art.
Other museums nearby include the Modern & Contemporary Art Museum and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, and the ‘Art of Chocolate’ museum in Lisle-sur-Tarn!
Wine tasting
To the west of the town lie the vineyards which produce the celebrated Gaillac wines. The vineyards probably date back to Roman times, or even earlier. Fragments of 2nd century BC wine jars have been found in Montans, near Gaillac, and seem to be evidence of the presence of winemaking activities from a very long time ago.
To learn more about and, of course, taste the local wines, wander along to the ‘Maison des Vins’ in Place Saint Michel in Gaillac. Or head to the medieval village of Labastide-de-Lévis to see the oldest wine cellar in the Tarn, which is open daily to visitors.
