In the middle ages, the village of Bruniquel was a rather wealthy place, thanks to the trade in flax, hemp and saffron. Pilgrims on the St-James-Way would find rest, shelter and food in the village. The village was surrounded by two walls, destroyed during the wars of religion. Nowadays it is a quiet village, waking up every year early august for a festival dedicated to Jacques Offenbach, the 19th century French operetta composer.
The visit of the castles is worth spending some time. From the first fortress in the 6th century, only the remains of the keep persist; in the old castle you will come trough a nice knights' room with twin windows, a medieval kitchen with stone oven and stone sink. You'll appreciate the splendid panorama from the marvellous renaissance style gallery overlooking a 90 metres high cliff. The young castle has a beautiful baroque chimney - if you're lucky, you will hear young singers performing in that room some aria's during the summer school for operetta singers. Remarkable also, the old chapel turned into a kitchen. The castle functioned as décor for a French cult-film “Le vieux Fusil”.
Outside the castles is a nice park, excellent for picnic of just for taking a break. In the old centre of Bruniquel, you will find some nice houses from 14th to 16th century. The Payrol House can be visited: it reveals interior architecture from the 13th century and the Gothic and Renaissance eras. It is a quite interesting building, it belonged to a wealthy family of pastel merchants. Downhill there is an unique underground fountain and washing place ("lavoir"), with an overflow that feeds an open drinking pool, shaped like an horse shoe. Enjoy the panoramic views over the Vère and the Aveyron rivers.
You will find Artichaud, a chambre d'hôtes de charme, at about 15 km from Bruniquel. Castelnau de Montmiral, our village, is much more central to the Bastides tourist road than Bruniquel, and moreover also located on the Gaillac wine road. Albi and Toulouse are also much nearer. It might be a good idea to stay at our eco-friendly guest-house for visiting the region.
Our rooms are spacious and comfortable, we have a nice garden and swimming pool, a library containing many books in English. Artichaud is renown for its nice foods and good wines. We will be pleased to give you more information on cultural events and festivals in Bruniquel and elsewhere in the region.
Other bastides you might want to visit:
Text & pictures: © Bed and Breakfast Artichaud
