Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Elyse Rivin about the lovely village of Penne in the Tarn. It’s a small place (600 inhabitants) with a ruined castle on top of the hill and gorgeous views all around.

This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon.

This medieval village does not have any sort of special label like “Most Beautiful Village of France” so it’s definitely under the radar. But it's such an interesting place! We often get asked about memorable places to visit with children and Penne is definitely one of them! Children will love the adventure of exploring the ruins and watching restoration work go on (if you go at the right time, check their website for specifics.)

Penne is north east of Toulouse. The name comes from a Latin root that means high pointy rock and the castle is indeed on top of a high pointy rock. This ruined castle got its start in the 800s at a time when local inhabitants needed protection from various invasions.

The Village of Penne Today

Today a lot of arts and crafts people have moved into the village because in a normal year Penne gets quite a few visitors. You'll find some shops and cafés and scenic narrow streets (see Annie's photos on Instagram).

What's different is that this village doesn't have a monastery and it is not a bastide. It was developed primarily around the defensive castle which speaks to the difficult political situation of this area during the Middle Ages.

You should wear good walking shoes as you will be walking up fairly steep cobblestone. It's not taxing physically because you don't have to go a long way, but may be impossible for people with mobility issues and difficult with a stroller.

Attractions and Accommodations Nearby

It will only take half a day to visit Penne (unless they have special events going on), but the great thing is there is plenty to see nearby. Bruniquel, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, Castelnau-de-Montmiral are good candidates in our opinion. Here are some good accommodation around Penne.

Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/336

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