Albi Carnival, France
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Content of this article
What is the Albi Carnival?
The Albi Carnival is a colorful celebration in the city of Albi. This carnival is one of the most important events in the whole city, being celebrated before Christian Lent. Currently, this celebration is one of the most famous and important in the region. In addition, it attracts tens of thousands of people every year.
The Albi carnivals attract around 80,000 tourists each year who come to witness the parade of the many floats made by the region’s artisans. The carnival has been celebrated since 1484, having the honor of being known as one of the oldest carnivals in France. Since 1955, the modern version of the carnival has been celebrated, which features the carriage parade, dances and music and many other entertaining events.
We invite you to know all the important elements of the Carnival of Albi.
The last day of the Albi carnival is the parade through the main streets of the town
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When is the Albi Carnival
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The carnivals are held between February and March, they travel throughout the city, mainly the main thoroughfares. The parades that pass through the streets are completely free of charge.
History of the Albi Carnivals
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The Albi Carnival dates back to the years before the construction of the Cathedral Sainte-Cécile. Showever, there are some periods of intermittency in terms of the celebration of the carnival of Albi. This a celebration with high historical and heritage importance for the city, as it has been held every year almost continuously since 1951. The use of carroques and the events that the carnival has today began to be part of the festivities since 1905. In addition, each year a Carnival Queen is crowned, who plays the role of the main character of the festivities.
Every year the carrozas take to the streets of the city, each with a different theme. The floats that travel through the city measure at least 3 meters wide and more than 6 meters high, carrying along with them the crowd that participates every year in the city. These floats are the result of months of work by the Albi Carnival Association. The floats that are part of the parades are, for the most part, made of cardboard and papier-mâché.
Where is the Albi Carnival
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The Albi Carnival is located in the town of Albi, located in the department of Tarn. The carnival runs along the main roads and boulevards of the city, some of these Boulevard du Lude, Rue H Savary and the Place du Vigan, among others.
People celebrate in the streets alongside floats and marching bands
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How the Albi Carnival is celebrated
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The carnival comprises a large number of celebrations and events, which have a large number of participants each year. The program of events is varied; however, the activities that stand out the most during the celebration of the Albi carnival are the parades that take place on the Sundays of the weeks of celebration. During these days, the carroaches and the participants go around the city with great enthusiasm and animosity. During this parade you can find a great variety of components such as the Batucadas, a sub-genre of samba used mainly of tambores, the porristas, the bandas de música and the scenic arts that are arranged throughout the parade. In addition, you can also find Brazilian dancers, dancing and lively music from beginning to end.
In addition, the coronation of the Carnival Queens is one of the most important events within the festivities. Finally, also incorporated are the parades designed for children and an amusement park that takes presence in the city with different attractions and roller coasters.
Tips for going to the Albi Carnivals
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The Albi Carnival is an extremely popular festival, attended by thousands of people from all regions of France and Europe. If you are considering spending the carnivals in the locality of Albi, be sure to plan your trip in advance so that you can have a good itinerary of activities and accommodations near the city center.
If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:.
Events in Albi Carnival
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The events occurring in the city are quite varied, which means you have many shows to see and activities to attend. The two weeks of festivities are full of events such as the imposing parades of floats that take over the city, the music bands, the cheerleaders who liven up the show, samba performances and Brazilian dances. All this show is accompanied by an incredible staging and the coronation of the carnival queens.
In addition to this, the children’s parade takes place within the celebrations. This event is one of the main attractions for the little ones of the city. Besides being part of an incredible celebration with masks and costumes, at the end of the afternoon they also eat crepes and sweets. We cannot forget the amusement park which you can also attend during the carnival season.
The carnival queens are an important part of Albi’s carnival traditions
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Albi Carnival Parades
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The main parade of the town runs along the most important public thoroughfares, passing through the different streets, avenues, boulevards and places. The parade starts with music bands that animate the streets and then begins the parade of floats.
Parade route
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The parade takes the main streets of Albi during carnivals
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The parade starts on the Boulevard du Lude, crossing the main street, turning towards the Rochegude park, the Avenue De Gaulle and ends at the Place du Vigan.
frésinat is a dish from the region consisting of potatoes and pork
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What to eat at the Albi Carnival
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One of the most common foods you can find during the Albi carnival are the échaudés which are cookies whose main component is aniseed. You can also get frésinat, a simple dish that consists of potatoes with a piece of baked pork.
Some dining options within the city offer local, French and some international options. The most popular eateries are La table du sommelier, Ambroisie and Au Hibou.
échaudés are aniseed cookies typical of the region during the Albi carnival
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Travel Insurance
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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:
What to see and do inside the Albi Carnival
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The Albi Carnival is a celebration a great variety of things to see and do. One of the main events is the great parade that takes place in the streets of the city. In this event you can see the wonderful floats made by local artisans. Likewise, you can listen to music played by the different bands that accompany the parades. In addition, you can also see the dozens of cheerleaders cheering the parade, the artistic presentations and the different samba shows.
You can also attend the amusement park that is part of the town during the carnivals. In this park you will have a wide variety ofrides and roller coasters on which you can ride and be distracted for a couple of hours.
What to see and do outside the Albi Carnivals
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The town of Albi offers you a considerable number of tourist attractions, all of them of great historical and artistic value.
Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile
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It is a religious building located in the town of Albi. The construction of this architectural jewel took two centuries, from 1282 to 1480. Today it is one of the most visited cathedrals in France.
Musée de la Mode
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This museum is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a historic building with architecture from the twelfth to the seventeenth century. The founder of the museum is Dominique Miraille, who took about 25 years to build the private collection of costumes.
Les Jardins de la Berbie
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It is a collection of gardens that are within the World Heritage Site. Here you can appreciate the different garden designs using a variety of materials and different types of plants.
Safety at the Albi Carnival
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The town of Albi is a safe area that welcomes tourists warmly. You should not worry if you decide to spend your next carnival festivities here. At the same time, we recommend you to keep your belongings in a safe place, especially if you visit places with a large number of people. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:
Weather at the Albi Carnival
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The temperature in Albi ranges between 1 and 12 degrees, that’s why we recommend you to pack clothes for this kind of weather.
The Albi carnival floats take several months to make by the various craftsmen
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How to get to the Albi Carnival
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How to get there by plane
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The closest and most convenient airport to travel to Albi is Toulouse International Airport. From there, you can take the different means of transport to reach the town of Albi.
How to get there by train
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To arrive by train from Toulouse International Airport, you must take the streetcar from the airport for a few minutes to Arènes, transfer, get to Marengo-SNCF and from there take the train to the town of Albi.
How to get there by car
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From the airport you can take a cab, carpool or private vehicle and travel along the A68 highway to Albi. The drive is approximately one hour.
Where to stay at the Albi Carnival
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Campanile Albi Centre
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3-star hotel 500 meters from the center of town. All rooms have air conditioning, cable TV, free internet and free parking.
The Originals City, Hôtel Le Cantepau
3-star hotel, located 800 meters from the center of town. All rooms are equipped with cable TV and internet access. Breakfast is buffet style and parking is available.
Hotel Laperouse
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2-star hotel 400 meters from the city center. All rooms have TV and private bathroom with basic toiletries.
We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.
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