Historic Hotels in Montauban's Pink-Brick Centre

Hôtel Mercure Montauban is the historic choice, rated 9.0 from about 190 reviews. It occupies an 18th-century townhouse in the historic district, directly opposite the cathedral and close to the business quarter. Its 44 rooms are air-conditioned, with private bathrooms, free WiFi and flat-screen satellite TV, and three are adapted for guests with disabilities. The in-house restaurant, Bistro Bourdelle, named after the sculptor born in Montauban, and a bar mean you can dine without leaving the building. From the door, Place Nationale, the Pont Vieux and the Ingres Bourdelle museum are all a short walk through the brick streets.

Les Logis du Port Suites & Spa is the best-rated stay on the page at 9.4, though from only about 50 reviews. This three-star suite hotel sits on the canal port basin, with air-conditioned, soundproofed rooms looking over the garden or the water, each with a dining area. On site there is a spa and wellness centre, a sun terrace, a garden, a restaurant serving French cuisine and a bar. It is not a historic building, and it is outside the old town, so you will walk or drive in to see the monuments, but it offers a calm, green setting and wellness facilities that the centre cannot match.

Which one to choose depends on how you want to spend your time. If the point of the trip is Montauban's heritage, the Mercure puts you opposite the cathedral, inside the historic district, with a restaurant downstairs and every major sight within walking distance. If you want to combine sightseeing with rest, the Logis du Port adds a spa, a garden and water views, at the cost of a walk or short drive into town. Both have strong scores and air-conditioning. Guests with reduced mobility will find the Mercure's adapted rooms a reassuring option in an old building.

Montauban's heritage is built in brick. Place Nationale, with its double rows of arcades, is the heart of the bastide and hosts a market. The Pont Vieux, a 14th-century bridge over the Tarn, leads to the Ingres Bourdelle museum, set in the former bishops' palace and holding works by the painter Ingres and the sculptor Bourdelle. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, opposite the Mercure, displays Ingres' painting The Vow of Louis XIII. The Jardin des Plantes and the riverside paths are pleasant on summer evenings, and Toulouse is about 50 km to the south.