A turnkey trip for groups of 20 people or more
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Full board
- Flexible trip
- Senior groups
- Associations and clubs
- Companies and seminars
Itinerary map
Trip description
Every year, the Venetian carnival in Castres brings dozens of masked, costumed figures parading through the town’s streets. This group weekend in Occitanie pairs this festive event with a discovery of old Castres, the Jardin de l’Évêché designed by Le Nôtre, Lautrec, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, and the Abbaye-École de Sorèze.
Themed days of the tour
Trip can be tailored to your wishes and budget
Arrival in Castres on Friday 16 March for lunch.
Afternoon: historic and cultural Castres: historical presentation of the town with a regional guide-interpreter. Tour of old Castres, facing the Jardin de l’Évêché designed by Le Nôtre in 1676, the Baroque Saint-Benoît cathedral, and a view of the old tanners’ houses lining the Agout.
Visit of the Musée Goya, a panorama of Hispanic art unique in France: paintings by great Spanish masters from the 14th century to the present day, including several major works by Goya.
Welcome drink, dinner and accommodation at the Hotel Mercure Castres L’Occitan.
Morning: departure for Lautrec, classified and labeled one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France” (Most Beautiful Villages of France), historical presentation of the town with a regional guide-interpreter.
Tour of the village, which grew up in 940 around a fortress at its highest point, just above the Moulin de la Salette.
Foie gras tasting with Occitan farmers (agricultural cooperative).
Lunch at L’Occitan.
Afternoon: free time in Castres to enjoy the Venetian carnival organized by Colori d’Italia, an exceptional cultural and festive event full of charm, grace and energy. Some fifty costumed Venetian figures from the association “Les Masqués Vénitiens de France” will take over the streets. No one knows who is hiding behind these sumptuous and strange masks and costumes.
Dinner and accommodation at the Hotel Mercure Castres L’Occitan.
Optional and subject to availability: €20 per person including transfer by local coach: Mozart’s famous opera “Così fan tutte” performed at the Castres theater by the company “L’Envolée Lyrique”.
Morning: departure for Sorèze.
Audio-guided tour of the Abbey School with an on-site guide: founded in the 8th century, its transformation into a seminary by the Benedictines in the 17th century was the starting point of its vocation as a center of learning. A royal military school under Louis XVI, re-founded by Lacordaire under the Second Empire, then a secondary school, it earned Sorèze an international reputation through the quality of its teaching.
Discovery of the art of tapestry with a visit of the Musée Dom Robert.
Lunch at L’Occitan and departure for your region.
Included services
- Welcome drink
- Full board
- Accommodation based on a double room
- Tours and excursions
- Guide
- 1 free place for 20 paying people (driver or guide)
Accommodation: HÔTEL MERCURE CASTRES L’OCCITAN
< A family-run hotel for 30 years, the Occitan has been given a fresh new look to offer its guests greater comfort and a wider range of services, as well as a warm, contemporary décor. Set in a shaded park near the historic centre of Castres, in the heart of the Albi–Toulouse–Carcassonne ‘Golden Triangle’, the Mercure Castres l’Occitan hotel offers comfortable, air-conditioned, quiet and spacious rooms, as well as traditional…
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More information about this tour in our brochure
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FAQ
This all-inclusive stay can be booked for 2 to 3 days. The detailed programme offers 3 days: you choose the ones that interest you, depending on the length of your stay.
The group stays at the establishment offering this tour, in Castres, in double rooms on a full-board basis. It has 62 rooms.
Yes, the establishment’s car park can accommodate 2 coaches.
The price depends on the season, the length chosen and the number of participants. Request a free quote from the hotel using the form on this page: it will reply within 48 hours, with no intermediary or commission. One free place is offered for every 20 paying people (driver or guide).
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