Entertaining the kids in Montauban

Right in the middle of winter, would you like to discover the Tarn-&-Garonne, to warm up in its radiant light and pink brick buildings ? The singsong accent of its inhabitants is calling you… the gastronomy and the cultural appeal will bring an end to any doubts you had about coming and enjoying this attractive territory all year round ! For your stay, if you are pointing to Montauban on the map, you are right ! At the crossroads of many sites of interest, all around town they are many visits to be done, but also some relaxation to be found. Are you with your family, do you need to find some activities to keep the little ones busy ? Stay with us, we have everything you need...

Visiting Montauban with your family and activites for all !

It is the biggest town in the department. A dynamic bastide, labelled « ville d’art et d’histoire » (Town of Art and History), a must do during your stay ! Montauban has a very interesting architectural and cultural heritage : no less than 43 buildings are listed ! But… I doubt this will retain your kids’ attention… In any case, not all day ;)

Start with a good breakfast on the Place Nationale and its glowing red arcades. Is it still a bit cool this morning ? Discover the Victor Brun Natural History Museum, which is located in a beautiful building. It is a small museum that will keep you busy for 1 hour or 2, depending on the interest of the kids on the very well presented stuffed animals.

If the sun is now showing up, take the family to Port Canal, for a relaxing visit on the water’s edge. We can see beautiful boats of various colors ; during high season small cruises are available.

Would you have preferred to stay in town and carry on the visits ? The Musée des Jouets (The Toy Museum) is a magical place and offers a fascinating and exciting visit. The must, is the small train !

For lunch, why not taking a picnic to the Jardin des plantes ? The arboretum will seduce the kids, while you can have a coffee on the lawn. You can visit the park with a smartphone application which transforms the whole park into a natural zoo : the Magic Xperience application. If you are looking for a bigger park, the Parc du Treil is a perfect place for a family walk with its 13,000 m2 of nature landscapes on the edge of the Tarn River.

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Cheese enthusiasts would probably love visiting a farm ? The Ferme du Ramier offers visits all year to discover the cattle breeding profession (female breeder in this case :) ), who explain passionately their daily life with cows. With a bit of luck you could even see some calves ! It is open all year, on Wednesday and on Saturday at 4pm. During the academic holidays, there are special activities for children on Wednesday.

Is it raining ? Escape to an indoor play area, such as the Parc Tohubohu to have fun with the kids. The teenagers may be tempted by a session of Escapes Games, there are two in Montauban : S Room Agency for 2 to 6 players with “Colombo” style scenario and Mr K Escape Game with the toughest enigmas…

Finally, would you like a little summer bubble in winter ? The large Ingreo aqua complex is open all year, with toboggans and invigorating hot waters.

Discovering Montauban differently ?

Looking for street art ? Are your teenagers into street art ? They are many street artists who have signed with their spray cans, on every street corner. An idea : give a camera to your kids and walk around while observing to create a book of the most beautiful murals street art that you would cross on your way. It could be a good way to make them walk without whining ? ;) For example, look for the « Invaders » (they are small square pixelated murals), and they are a total of 11 in the streets of the town. Julien from Casabianca has made murals using collage on some buildings (2 large collages and some smeared ones). To plan your discoveries, follow the list provided by the Tourist Office’s website.

Discover Montauban and its surround area by bike ! To do so, there are several possibilities, if you come with your own equipment you can head directly along the Montech canal, connecting Montech to Montauban over 11km. You can also take the Aveyron Valley Véloroute, a VTC circuit, for all the family which leaves from Montauban, up to Laguépie, crossing many superb medieval villages such as Montricoux, Bruniquel, Penne and Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. If you do not have your equipment, go to bikes and VTC rental companies !

Visit the town and use the children discovery booklet “Zig Zag”, which is distributed at the Tourist Office. A discovery trail offering a plan, with photos and explanations on the history of the town, quiz type questions, small games.

Further information

• Click here to read about our guide in the region of the big river valleys, to find some walk ideas to do around Montauban.

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