The Cathédrale Ste-Cécile (daily: June–Sept 8.30am–7pm; Oct–May 8.30–11.45am & 2–5.45pm; entry to choir €1, to treasury €2), begun about 1280, is visible from miles around, dwarfing the town like some vast bulk carrier run aground, the belfry its massive superstructure. If the comparison sounds unflattering, perhaps it is not amiss, for this is not a conventionally beautiful building; it's all about size and boldness of conception. The sheer plainness of the exterior is impressive on this scale, and it's not without interest: arcading, buttressing, the contrast of stone against brick – every differentiation of detail becomes significant. Entrance is through the south portal, by contrast the most extravagant piece of Flamboyant sixteenth-century frippery. The interior, a hall-like nave of colossal proportions, is dominated by a huge mural of the Last Judgement, believed to be the work of Flemish artists in the late fifteenth century. Above, the vault is covered in richly colourful paintings of sixteenth-century Italian workmanship, while a rood screen, delicate as lace, shuts off the choir: Adam makes a show of covering himself, Eve strikes a flaunting model's pose beside the central doorway, and the rest of the screen is adorned with countless statuary.Next to the cathedral, a powerful red-brick castle, the thirteenth-century Palais de la Berbie, houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec (Mar Wed–Sun 10am–noon & 2–5.30pm; Apr–Sept daily 9/10am–noon & 2–6pm; Oct daily 10am–noon & 2–5.30pm; Nov–Feb daily 10am–noon & 2–5pm; €4.50), containing paintings, drawings, lithographs and posters from the earliest work to the very last – an absolute must for anyone interested in Belle époque seediness and, given the predominant Impressionism of the time, the rather offbeat painting style of its subject. However, perhaps the most impressive thing about this museum is the building itself, its parapets, gardens and walkways giving stunning views over the river and its bridges. Opposite the east end of the cathedral, rue Mariés leads into the shopping streets of the old town, most of it impeccably renovated and restored. The little square and covered passages by the church of St-Salvy are worth a look as you go by. Eventually you come to the broad Lices Pompidou, the main thoroughfare of modern Albi, which leads down to the river and the road to Cordes. Less touristy, this is the best place to look for somewhere to eat and drink.
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