Along the banks of the Tarn
Montauban has an eventful history with the river Tarn, on whose banks it was founded in 1144. For centuries, the town drew its prosperity from the river, establishing numerous mills and flourishing river trade. However, the Tarn proved to be a capricious ally, with regular flash floods over the centuries repeatedly devastating Sapiac and Villebourbon, the city’s low-lying districts. The extent of the flooding in the 20th century led to the implementation of a vast anti-flooding system along the Tescou and Tarn rivers. As a result, footpaths have been laid out just a stone’s throw from the town center, in a relaxing natural environment rich in fauna, flora and ecosystems specific to the banks of the Tarn. This biodiversity deserves to be preserved and discovered. To avoid polluting the water or destroying the insects, amphibians, birds, bats, small mammals and numerous plants found along the banks, no chemical treatments are used. This walking trail invites you to discover an exceptional architectural heritage, in an environment rich in natural spaces of rare quality in the heart of the city.
Parc du Treil
Situated between the Pont Vieux and the Moulin de la Palisse, on the banks of the Tarn, the park is now a genuine nature area in the city, with several zones: grassy area, tree lanes and a Natura 2000 zone along the Tarn. Learn to observe and differentiate between the herons that nest on the Ile de la Pisotte in summer, and find out how the heronry works at several interpretation stations.
Download the city and nature booklet
A veritable directory of the flora and fauna of Greater Montauban.
A little out of the way … Lac de la Piboulette
On this 2-kilometre observation trail, your walk will be punctuated by explanatory panels on the natural world around you.
