Places to visit: Saint Antonin Noble Val

Have you ever watched the film ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’? If not, firstly do, it is a lovely film, but it is of relevance here as it was filmed in Saint Antonin Noble Val – this month’s place to visit.

Photo courtesy of tourisme-tarnetgaronne.fr

Saint Antonin Noble Val is in the Tarn et Garonne département and to the north of where we live. A 30 minute drive along the Aveyron river from St Martin Laguépie, through very pretty countryside which transforms into steep sided gorges. Entering a long tunnel, you emerge on the other side to see picture perfect Saint Antonin Nobel Val nestling by the Aveyron river.

Photo courtesy of tourisme-saint-antonin-noble-val.com

This little town has a rich history spanning centuries and lies on one of the ancient pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela. As an aside, one of these years I would love to walk this. The town still has a medieval layout with the narrow streets, covered walkways and the façades of many of the fascinating buildings remaining much as they were 800 years ago. Interestingly, it was occupied by the English in the 1300s. The building that was the soldiers barracks, the Caserne des Anglais, still stands, albeit somewhat altered over the centuries. St Antonin remains popular with British people now, with many having made their home there. In the 1600s the town prospered as a supplier of linen and leather and some of the tannery buildings still stand today. St Antonin is now a popular tourist destination.

It is also home to a fabulous Sunday market which runs through the narrow central street and into a car park at the end. The market is always very busy in the summer, in fact you can barely make your way along the main street, as crowds throng the tiny space, stopping to admire the hat stall, buy some local produce or try some cheese or wine. Even in the winter months it is popular and bustling, with all the noises and smells that make market shopping such an adventure for the senses. It is filled with all sorts of amazing stalls: cheeses, saucissons, lots of fruit and vegetables, bread, cake, dried fruit and the best spice and herb stall. There are also food stalls, our favourite is a Lebanese stall run by a guy who has a restaurant in Montauban. Delicious falafel, aubergine dip, tabbouleh, and so much more – an occasional lunchtime treat. In the middle is a covered market where locals bring their produce – a great place to find plaits of garlic or shallots. There are cafés and restaurants dotted around, normally filled with people. It has been strange wandering through the market, on the couple of occasions we have been there in the last year during the pandemic, to find these places closed, waiting for better times.

The way to explore St Antonin is to roam around the narrow streets spotting interesting buildings, local cats and the occasional brocante. If you get the chance to visit, the architecture is fascinating, the streets enchanting and the riverside location beautiful. Add to that some artisan shops and of course the market and you have a lovely day out, if not longer. In the summer the river is also busier, and you see many a paddle boarder or canoe heading down the wide river. One evening after a lovely meal, on our way back over the bridge to the car park, we were treated to the sight and sound of what looked like lots of otters swimming to and fro.