Puycelsi is a medieval bastide village, dominating the Vère, a small river. In fact, Puycelsi was already a fortified place before the arrival of the Romans, more than 2000 years ago, in the nearby Grésigne forest one can discover the remains of some oppida from that era. During the middle-ages, the bastide has lived trough many sieges and wars. Firstly there was the Albigensian Crusade: the crusaders repeatedly besieged Puycelsi; as a result, the castle was dismantled, however, the ramparts and towers remained. During the Hundred Years war, English troops besieged Puycelsi, whereas the Wars of Religion added new disasters to the decline of Puycelsi: the catholic majority expelled the Protestants; the Huguenots returned with their co-religionists to besiege the bastide. In the 16th and 17th century, four epidemics of pestilence afflicted Puycelsi. In the 19th century, part of the population left the village, hoping for a better life thanks to the coal mines and industries near of Albi. The First World War added his toll to the decline of the village.
Nowadays Puycelsi is a quiet village in the Tarn, with many secondary residences. The walls and the towers of the bastide are still in place. From the ramparts, one has a magnificent view on the Vère valley, the Larroque cliffs, and further on the plateau of the Aveyron. Visit St Roche s' chapel, built by the population during the plague; now it houses the tourist office. In the middle of the village you should also visit the Roman style St Corneille church; apart from catholic masses, sometimes an Anglican service is held. Discover also some of the nice 16th century buildings, stemming from the period where Puycelsi governed the Gresigne Forest. And most of all, Puycelsi is a very charming village, take a stroll, have a drink on one of the terraces.
A number of signposted walks let you discover the Gresigne Forest, with 3 500 ha the largest oak forest in the south of France. The “sentier du patrimoine” (heritage path) gives you an insight in history and the rich fauna of the wood: deer, badgers, foxes, wild boar... The bird life in and around the forest is also interesting (booted eagle, kite...), as well as the flora (orchids!). It is also a NATURA 2000 site, which means that the area preserves a number of animals and plants; for example the Gresigne counts hundreds of different varieties of beetles. An marvellous collection of these beetles and other insects is hold in the Philadelphe Thomas museum in nearby Gaillac. Another interesting place to visit in Puycelsi is the Verger Conservatoire: an orchard created by the regional administration of Midi-Pyrénées in order to preserve the biodiversity in apples, pears and grapes. The Tarn is a great area for nature lovers!
B& B Artichaud is located on the edge of the Gresigne forest, within walking distance of Puycelsi. Our guest house is a good starting point for discovering the bastides albigeoises, the Gresigne forest, the Gaillac vineyards and more generally the Tarn region. The information you discover on our web site, is complemented with more precise information for guests staying here: we ensure they get the most out of their stay.
Artichaud is an ecological B&B, labelled by the international “Green Key” tourist label. We try to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible, save water and electricity, use environmental-friendly cleaning products, use organic products whenever possible. And, if you like walking or cycling, our large documentation is at hand. We also offer a special arrangement: walking holidays
If you like a green holiday in a comfortable house, with great food and nice wines, you should come to our place.
Text & pictures: © Bed and Breakfast Artichaud
