Millau Viaduct, a Great Tourist Site, spans the Tarn Valley in one prodigious bound. The result of an unprecedented human and technological achievement, it is the longest and highest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
One of the best ways of getting up close to this titan is to set off on a boat trip with commentary along the Tarn. Highlights of the trip include passing by the cave village of Peyre, and getting close to the highest pile supporting Millau Viaduct, which is 343 metres tall.
'Les Raspes' is the name given to the narrow, enclosed section of the Tarn downriver from Millau Viaduct. It's a long defile with several weirs, bristling with rocks and sheer promontories towering overhead.
Here you can treat yourself to a boat trip with commentary that will show you the wild beauty and biodiversity of this isolated paradise, which is part of the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park.
Flowing westwards, the Tarn arrives at Albi. A trip on board a gabarre, one of the flat-bottomed lighters once used to transport goods along the river, will show off the delights of this Great Tourist Site in a different light.
Indeed, it is from the river that you see the best side of Albi and its Cité Épiscopale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your gabarre, you get a stunning tracking view of the magnificent line of buildings comprising the Cathedral of Sainte Cécile and the Palais de la Berbie, home to the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, plus the French-style formal gardens laid out on a terrace overlooking the river.