Quality of life
A region located between the Massif Central and the Mediterranean Basin, the Castres-Mazamet region is rich in nature and has an extensive leisure and sports environment.
It is situated closeto the ski resorts of the Pyrenees and the beaches of the Languedoc coast and Costa Brava.
Nature and tourism
The south of the Tarn region has many tourist sites and is located for the most part within the scope of the natural regional park of the Haut Languedoc.Founded in the 9th century and a famous industrial center since the Middle Ages, Castres has many testimonials to its history: the Tour Saint-Benoît, the houses on the Agout, private Renaissance manors, the Bishop’s Palace and the French gardens designed by Le Nôtre…
Mazamet, embedded in the Montagne Noire, tells the history of its industrial activities in each of its streets. The world capital for wool pulling starting in the 1850s, Mazamet's wealth was built from all parts of the world. From this collective adventure remains a surprising urban planning with industrial buildings set out along the waterways and Anglo-Saxon type warehouses interspersed with large manors downtown. Since that era, Mazamet has never stopped traveling, keeping its focus on the rest of the world.
At the gates of Castres is the Sidobre massif, one of the largest granite massifs in France, with an unusual look (blocks sculpted by erosion and a sort of rocky chaos), industrial activity (quarries, processing workshops) and art (artistic craftsmanship, sculptures).
The Montagne Noire, which draws its name from the thick forests on its northern slope, offers exceptional leisure and sports opportunities: fishing, hunting, walks, horseback riding and nautical sports. The Midi de la France water tower feeds the Midi Canal and its basins: Saint-Ferréol, Lampy...
The Lacaune Mountains, located at an altitude of 800 meters, have all the advantages of medium-sized mountains. Many tourist sites have been created around the Laouzas Lake. A tourist center and former spa, Lacaune also has quality hotels and a casino. In the winter, the Lacaune Mountains provide cross country skiing activities.
Towards the west and Toulouse, the south of the Tarn opens onto the Lauragais plain, the former “cocagne” region where the culture of pastels has contributed to its wealth.
Finally, to the south of the Tarn, marked by the religious wars that ran through France’s history mainly against the Cathars and Huguenots, are many reminders of these periods (the sites in Burlats, Ferrières, Castres, Hautpoul …).
Culture and leisure
Theater/Performances:Castres: the 500-seat Italian style theater built at the beginning of the century regularly hosts high quality performances; the Extravadanses festival each summer in July. A theater or conference center with 1,500 seats; a library equipped for video broadcasts; a musical and multimedia cultural centre, the “Lo Bolegason”, accredited at the national level for “current musical scenes”; five movie theaters and two cinema associations; three art schools (music and dance, fine arts, dramatic arts, etc.)
Mazamet: the Espace Apollo, an ambitious cultural center: diversified programming, special meetings with artists, exhibition areas dedicated to plastic arts, sciences and techniques, as well as local heritage; two movie theaters and a media library.
Saint-Amans-Soult: the Tortill’Art, a new performance center both for live events – music, theater, story telling, reading, exhibits – and a place for creative activities by welcoming resident artists.
Museums:
The Goya Museum is home to the largest collection of Spanish paintings after the Louvre's; the Jaurès National Center and Museum - Castres was his birthplace; the Contemporary Art Center; the Wood and Toy Museum: its arboretum, an exhibit on the Montagne Noire and the wood sector, traditional games and toys; the Arthur Batut Museum in Labruguière, the life and works of the inventor of kite aerial photography; CERAC, an archeological gallery and event space; the Maison of Mazamet Memories on the history of the city and the permanent exhibit on Catharism.
Pool-skating rink:
CASTRES : the Archipel is an aquatic center with a skating rink. In a high level sporting environment, the Archipel’s nautical complex is recognized today as one of the best in the Midi-Pyrénées: a 25 m indoor pool with a shifting floor, 1 and 3 meter diving boards. Inside, a 300 m² play pool with a slide, flowing river, Jacuzzi and wading pool. Outside, a 470 m² pool with six “pentagliss” slopes, a flowing river, water games, a special pool for babies and a slide for children. These facilities are surrounded by wide green spaces with grass beaches, a picnic area, a beach volleyball court and ping pong tables.
Lakes:
The Montangès sports center, located 6 km from Aussillon and Mazamet, is located around a dammed lake on more than four hectares within a lovely green environment. A sandy beach and water games, with lifeguards in July and August.
Golf courses:
CASTRES : Gourjade - 9 holes
PONT DE L'ARN : Golf de la Barouge - 18 holes
Sports fields:
Many facilities throughout the urban agglomeration.
The sporting life:
The spirit of rugby is alive in all the stadiums with the presence of two important teams: the Castres Olympique and the Sporting Club Mazamétain. Castres-Mazamet regularly welcomes national and international sporting events: the Travet international athletics event; the finale for the French rallies cup; French horse-ball, cross country and cycling championships; stops on the Tour de France … Laurent JALABERT, who was the number one cyclist in the world, is the pride of Mazamet. Castres, with its 135 sporting clubs and associations representing 62 different sports and 12,000 members, almost one quarter of its inhabitants, is one of the largest sporting cities in France.