A crossroads of influences
The Tarn is subject to three major influences: Oceanic, Mountain and Mediterranean. The first is present in the north of the department, leading to mild temperatures and regular rainfall in winter and spring. The second one acts on the east, causing abundant rains and cooler temperatures. Finally, in the south, the Mediterranean influence is particularly visible. It is responsible for the very heavy rainfall in the Cévennes in winter, which regularly causes flooding of the Tarn and Agout rivers, and for the hot, dry summers, which are sometimes even scorching, particularly in Albi, a real basin.
As a result, the average temperature of the Tarn is about 15.3°C and the amount of sunshine is about 2113 hours per year. The climate varies from place to place; for example, it is colder on the Lacaune mountains than in the plains, with an average of about 9.5°C. In winter, the record low is set at -20.4°C.
A land sculpted by water
The department can pride itself on being composite. The river Tarn, once a natural border between the Gaul of Narbonne and the Gaul of Aquitaine, flows through this exceptional landscape. Its blue footprint criss-crosses the low hills of the green Lauraguais, the often notched plateau of the Ségala, the dark canopies of the Montagne Noire, the vineyards of the Gaillacois, the mounts of Lacaune and the chalky limestone plateaus of the medieval forest of Grésigne with vivacity.
Symbol of the territory to which it gave its name, the river rises on the Lozère mountain, at an altitude of 1550 m, and flows into the Garonne near Castelsarrasin. It is 375 km long and has tributaries such as the Dourbie, the Agout and the Aveyron. With an average flow of 140m3
per second, it crosses the department in 5 hours. The river Tarn is not the only one to make its way here. Two other rivers, the Dadou and the Agout, share the territory equally. Their vertiginous gorges continue upstream into the heart of Aveyron, 5,780 km2 of countless hills and mountains, valleys, long plains and rugged abysses.Landscapes as far as the eye can see
The landscapes of the Tarn are nothing but contrasts. On one side, a green and sunny plain, on the other side a wooded and dark mountain. The peaceful valleys of the Tarn or the Gijou compete with the granite chaos of the Sidobre, the gorges of the Viaur and the deep forests of the Grésigne, the Lacaune mountains or the Montagne Noire.
Neighbouring Aveyron, the department bears the beginnings of the Massif Central and the Causse plateaus. A few passes also allow cyclists to visit the area and enjoy the Tarn countryside.
Excavations have brought to light the presence of remains from the Gallo-Roman and medieval periods, particularly in the impressive Causse de Sorèze massif, which is home to numerous caves.The Tarn countries
The Tarn region is divided into several areas, each with its own specificities.
The Tarn Valley is criss-crossed by the river that bears its name. This area is punctuated by winegrowers' villages, fishing spots and steep rocks. It is a lush land suitable for outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, horseback riding, or simply lazing around.
It is the same for the Tarn plain, from Marssac to Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe. This country is punctuated with bastides, mansions and castles built along the river over the centuries. They stand in the heart of superb thousand-year-old vineyards and grain fields.
The Pays des Bastides is home to a collection of belvedere villages, such as Cordes-sur-Ciel, Puycelsi and Vaour. One can still imagine them in the days when the enemy was bravely confronted. Today, the bastides of Albigensia have regained their tranquility to offer us the testimony of a glorious period in the history of France, which is revealed under the feet of the passerby.
Located in the north of the Tarn, the Segala-Viaur has the saying "Of rye and mine", a saying that highlights the agricultural and industrial vocation of this basin. Long known as a rye granary thanks to its acidic soil, the real activity that marked the site and men for centuries was the exploitation of mines from the 17th century. If a difficult mutation is taking place, the tourist future of this country can be seen with several achievements, including Cap'Découverte.
The Pays de Cocagne is a major centre for the cultivation of woad and is steeped in the gentle way of life. Although it was ravaged by the wars of religion, it now boasts an important heritage that cannot be ignored, along the multicoloured fields and rich valleys where castles and windmills stand. At random in the surrounding countryside: Lavaur, Lautrec, Graulhet or Puylaurens... So many destinations to which to direct your steps with dynamism!
A land of refuge and beliefs, the Monts de Lacaune have their own character and a mountain identity that is more than ever affirmed. Its characteristics can be seen in the slate work, livestock farming, the dairy tradition and salting. This territory is marked by the presence of numerous megalithic monuments such as the statue-menhirs.
The first impression that emerges from the discovery of Sidobre is almost phantasmagorical. This granite plateau of 100 km2, which lies at an altitude of 650 m above Castres, offers a striking landscape with its numerous chaos, its rivers of rocks, its gigantic balls of granite emerging from sandy ground and covered with varied vegetation, its trembling stones, sometimes of enormous weight and astonishing shapes. The Sidobre plateau is now one of the largest granite processing centres in the world.
The last bastion of the Massif Central, the Black Mountain lands gently in the plains of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude. Between forests and shaped stones, valleys and plateaus follow one another, sometimes hidden in the shadow of the forests. At its highest point, the Pic de Nore (1214 m) stands proudly, and at its deepest point, the water that Pierre-Paul Riquet diverted in the 17th century to supply the Canal du Midi flows.
