'Well, just another Gothic cathedral on the list', I thought when we added Albi to our itinerary for June 2013. But when I had a first look into the nomination documents and saw the photos of the interior of the cathedral, I realized that it might be more interesting than it appeared at first sight. And indeed, Albi turned out to be a rewarding detour. The opulent interior decoration of the cathedral is amazing: the rood-screen of limestone with plenty of statues, the carved choir and the frescoes in the nave. The entire length of the ceiling (about 100 metres) is covered with paintings in deep blue as main colour. I can not remember a cathedral, where I gazed longer and more intensively at the ceiling as in Albi. But the highlight was the large painting of the Last Judgement (photo shows a detail). The garish depiction of Heaven, Perdition, and Hell must have been awe-inspiring for the worshippers.

The tall and largely undecorated outer walls look more like a fortress than a cathedral and - like almost every other building in the old city - are built of red brick. Actually, the WHS is named "Episcopal CIty of Albi" and comprises also the Palais de la Berbie, some quarters of the medieval city, and the Pont-Vieux. The panorama of the entire WHS can best be admired from the opposite bank of the Tarn. The inclusion of the former bishop's palace seems reasonable, as it forms a harmonious complex with the cathedral. But the surrounding medieval quarters are similar to other historic towns. Nevertheless, we enjoyed to stroll through the narrow streets with half-timbered houses. In the evening there were only a few tourists and some locals, a pleasant change from the crowded Carcassonne that we had visited two days before.

Today, the Palace de la Berbie houses the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. I would recommend a visit only if one is interested in the work of this artist, the interior is adapted to the use as a museum and there is not much that is reminiscent of the former use.

Yes, Albi is just another example of an already well-represented category on the World Heritage List. But if Albi was the last Gothic cathedral that got an inscription, the list has a worthy end.