By Simona Palenga
This little medieval gem of Haute-Garonne, built on the banks of the River Arize, was an important stage of the pilgrimages towards St. Jacques de Compostela. With it’s cathedral from the 12th century and beautiful brickwork, Rieux-Volvestres charm will surprise every traveler that arrives here on purpose…or by just getting lost along secondary roads boarded by the many corn and sunflowers fields.
Many houses of this village have bas-relieves perched over windows and doors. The tradition says that the face over the main door reflected the character of the one who got eh house built. We giggled at the face of bacchus (god of wine and vines) visible over the door of a house along the main street.
WHERE TO EAT :
We enjoyed a meal cooked by chef Gabriel Subra Gabriel Sbr (@gabychsbr) • Instagram photos and videos in the family owned ‘Restaurant de la Halle‘. The restaurant is just across the street of “la halle” or the covered market. This impressive structure, built in the 15th century, was once used as a covered space for a market 3 times a week. Restored in 2004, half of its space was used during our visit for tourists and residents alike, who enjoyed a home cooked meal. Despite the hot weather that day, we opted for a cassoulet, one the signature dishes of the house / https://www.restodelahalle.com/ / 2/4 place de la Halle, 31310 Rieux-Volvestre / +33 (0)5 61 87 62 81
Great post and wonderful photos! I love exploring medieval villages and this one looks like straight out of the fairy tale ☺️
Thank you! We do too, like stepping back into time 🙂