Description:

Geography

The town of Auvillar is perched on a rocky outcrop high above the southern bank of the River Garonne in the Tarn-et-Garonne department of South West France.  It is located eighty kilometres north west of Toulouse in the south west of the department, just eight kilometres south of Valence d'Agen.

The town was in an important location thanks to the safety of being high above the river, but also having access to a navigable section of the Garonne giving good trading links to Bordeaux.

Tourism

The town history can be traced back to Roman times and it is also a stop on one of the original pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella.  The town even has a "gite" for use by pilgrims, run by the Mairie.  With a long history and the benefit of  retaining much of the original village, it has been listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France (Les Plus Beaux Villages des France).

The surrounding town fortifications are still intact and the only access is through one of the three gates.  An imposing 17^th century clock tower has been erected on one of the gates. 

One of the main features of the town is the market "square", Place de la Halle.  Firstly it is a triangular shape and secondly the covered market in the centre is round!  It could not be any less like a square, but gives the town a very interesting feature.  The covered market dates from 1825, while the cobbled market place and surrounding houses and arcades are from the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

To visit in the town there is an old Benedictine Abbey, now St Pierre church and the sailor's shrine to Saint Catherine, the patron of the River people, but this has fallen into disrepair. 

There are also a couple of museums.  The small Museum of Arts and Traditions contains, as the name suggests, local craftwork and a history of the town, while the Museum of Inland Shipping is located in the clock tower.

The town has become very popular with artists and potters, with a number having workshops in the area.  To promote this, the Tourist office has regular exhibitions of local arts and crafts.

Just beyond the Tourist office, on a small grassy bank is a viewing point over the River Garonne, open countryside and the ironwork bridge that spans the river.

The town is also in the middle of the growing area of the Cotes du Brulhois wine and samples are available at the cave or one of the many local vineyards.  Also worth visiting in the area is Moissac and the castles at Gramont and St Roch.

Opening times :

Church St-Pierre: everyday 8h-19h

Museum of Auvillar :

1st May to 30th Oct - 1430-1830 everyday except Tuesday

1st November to 30th April - Saturday and Sunday only

Museum Inland Shipping :

1st May to 30th Oct - 1430-1830 everyday except Tuesday

Economy

In the past, Auvillar was an important port on the inland waterways, taking grain and wine to Bordeaux and bring salt from the coast.  This importance has faded with quicker transport links developed.

The main economic activities now are agriculture and livestock farming, as is common with much of the Midi-Pyrenees, but the arts and crafts industry has grown in importance along with tourism.

Transport

The nearest train station is at Valence d'Agen just 6 km north with regular connections to Montuaban and beyond.

If travelling by car, the A62 motorway runs right past the town just to the south and leaving at junction eight you are only 7 km from the town.

Flying to the area is easy with the nearest International airport being at Toulouse, around 80 km to the east.  Agen airport, 30 km to the north west in the neighbouring Lot-et-Garonne department, is a small regional airport with daily flights to Paris-Orly.

For more help with travel to the region, have a look at our Travel Information Pages.

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