Location
Sauveterre de Rouergue is a magnicent 13th century royal bastide, built around the village square with its arcades and merchants' houses. This is a village of half-timbered houses with corbels, sculpted ornamental stones, ornate doorways, remains of the fortifications, moats, towers archways… wander back in time through the ages. There is a bar, restaurant, boulangerie/patisserie, tourist information and a few other shops in the village centre.
The village is about 1½ hours drive from Toulouse, 45 minutes from Albi and less than 30 minutes from Rodez. It is situated in the Aveyron region of France - a little known area of France that has so much to offer.
The region has a rich cultural history, with a myriad of small villages and their narrow streets and busy market squares, with ten of the ‘plus beaux village de France’ situated just in this region!
There are more abbeys, chateaux, fortified towns and villages than you can possibly see in just one visit, while the natural wonders of the region include the amazing Tarn Gorges and the caves at Roquefort – where the famous cheese is matured. And then, to cap it off, one of man’s greatest engineering achievements also lies just over an hour’s drive away – the spectacular Millau bridge, the world’s tallest, standing over 340m high and nearly 2.5km long.
This area, like most of France, has a great reputation for its food and wine, and people come from far and wide to sample the flavours of “la cuisine de Rourgue”. Some of the most famous cheeses in France are made here – including Roquefort and Bleu des Causses, and the delicious Marcillac wine comes from vineyards in the region.
To find the apartment:
Sauveterre de Rouergue is situated about 6km north of Naucelle on the D997.
From Toulouse: Follow signs to pick up the A68 motorway, sign posted to Albi. Continue to Albi, where you pick up the N88, signposted to Rodez. Follow this road for approximately 40km, through Viaduc du Viaur and into Naucelle de Gare. Turn left here onto the D997, signposted to Naucelle, and on into Naucelle, where you then follow the signs to Sauveterre de Rouergue.
From Rodez: Pick up the N88 from Rodez, signposted to Albi. After approximately 15 km you will pass through Baraqueville, then after another 14km you will come into Naucelle de Gare. Turn right here onto the D997, signposted to Naucelle, and on into Naucelle, where you then follow the signs to Sauveterre de Rouergue. (Alternatively, just 1 km after Baraqueville, turn right onto the D38 and take this road to Sauveterre de Rouergue. It is a smaller road, but very well signposted and does save about 9km…)
