Valderiès: Culture, History and Routes

The town brings together a range of points of interest: bus route 716 between Albi and Valence, the 44-kilometre Sentier du Ségala, the historic Pont de Maux, and cultural and shepherding activities with their own seasonal schedules. Depending on your plans, getting there, the route, history or a seasonal programme may be your main focus.

Getting here and routes

Route 716 stops in Valderiès and connects Albi and Valence in both directions. The municipal timetable applies to the 2023–2024 school year; if you plan to use this connection, check the departures for your travel date.

The 44-kilometre Sentier du Ségala runs from Ambialet to Pampelonne and passes through Valderiès. Unlike the bus route, which connects Albi and Valence, the trail is a route with Ambialet and Pampelonne as its endpoints. If you choose the trail as the reason for your trip, plan to include Valderiès along the way; the route starts and ends in the places mentioned. The bus route and the trail help with different decisions: the bus route gives you a connection for getting there, while the trail offers a longer route to consider when planning your trip.

History and culture

Pont de Maux was built between the 12th and 14th centuries to cross the Cérou and provide a connection from Albi to Rodez via Valderiès. Its historical significance therefore links the river crossing with the route between the two cities at the time. The access paths are in poor condition. Take this into account when planning a visit, and check the situation beforehand.

The 2026 Printemps des poètes programme included writing workshops; more than 100 poems were collected in total. The public sundial sculpture in Valderiès features two upright, sculpted megaliths facing each other; they are symbolically linked to the Dolmen du Gouty. These offer different cultural points of interest: a poetry programme with writing activities and a collection of poems, and a sculpture with a megalithic connection.

Seasonal shepherding experiences

Held every year on the first weekend in May, the Fête de la brebis at Bergerie de Cap’Découverte includes sheep-shearing demonstrations and a walk with the shepherd and dogs. The festival also includes a visit to the sheepfold and a tasting of meat from the farm. Some programme details may vary. If the festival is the reason for your trip, check the dates and the specific programme for the year you plan to visit.

Occasional winter visits to the sheepfold are separate from this festival. Bergerie de Cap’Découverte offers them for children, with newborn lambs, subject to work schedules. The opportunity therefore depends on both the season and work schedules. If the visit is important to your trip, enquire beforehand.

Discover more destinations: Cuq-Toulza, Lombers, Monestiès, Lescure-D'albigeois, Cambounès, Aiguefonde, Massaguel, Saint-Germier

For the regional travel overview: Tarn.