City Gîte Affresco

You drive up the road towards Cordes, turn off before the hilltop, and find a stone barn at the end of a lane. This is the Affresco — 65 square metres restored in 2023 for two, blending original walls with brand-new fittings: bedroom, living room, open kitchen, shower room.

The real draw is the garden. South-facing, it looks out over the Aurausse valley with Cordes as a western backdrop. In the evening, the light on the ramparts is reason enough to book. The setting is quiet — no immediate neighbours, no traffic — and air-conditioned, which makes all the difference in the Tarn summer heat.

Cordes hilltop is five minutes away by car, Gaillac twenty, Albi forty. Parking is free on site. The only downside: no breakfast, but the village bakery is a short cycle away.