Bruniquel is a commune, located in the east of the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, in the Occitania region (foothills of the Massif Central, France).
The village is a member of the association, The Most Beautiful Villages of France.
Geologically, historically and culturally, the commune is in the Causse de Caylus, south of the Causse de Limogne, occupying a crossroads location on the border of Quercy and Rouergue.
Exposed to an altered oceanic climate, it is drained by the Aveyron river, the Vère, the Vaysse streams and various other small rivers.
The commune has a remarkable natural heritage: three Natura 2000 sites (the Aveyron Gorges, nearby Causses and Vère Valley, the valleys of Tarn, Aveyron, Viaur, Agout and Gijou, the forest of Grésigne and surrounding areas, three protected areas (the courses of the Garonne, Aveyron, Viaur and Tarn, the walls of Bruniquel, and the cave of Pierre Plantée ) and nine natural areas of ecological, fauna and flora interest.
Bruniquel is a rural commune that had 626 inhabitants as of 2021, after having experienced a population peak of 1,861 inhabitants in 1831.
It is part of the Montauban catchment area. Its inhabitants are called Bruniquelais or Bruniquelaises.
Main attractions
- The Bruniquel cave, discovered in 1992, revealed traces of human activity in an underground environment that were probably very old (approx. – 176,500 years old).
- The upper Mayrière cave, decorated with two figures of bison.
- The Bruniquel castle, classified as historic monuments in 1840. The castle is often called Châteaux de Bruniquel (i.e. castles, plural). This is because, two centuries after its construction, the castle was shared between two branches of the Comminges house, hence “château vieux” (old castle) and “château jeune” (young castle).
- The Saint-Maffre church of Bruniquel, a former prioral church, is located approximately 2 km southwest of the village. The priory would have been founded at the end of the 11th century.
- The Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption church of Bruniquel stands out. The building is referenced in the Mérimée database and in the Occitania Region General Inventory. The church was built at the end of the 13th century, it is mentioned as a new church at the beginning of the 14th century.
Medieval houses
Bruniquel has several medieval houses listed as historic monuments:
- Belaygue house, half-timbered, listed as a historic monument on April 24, 1952;
- House called “Le Parlement”, listed as a historic monument in 1984;
- Former house known as the Counts of Fayrols, listed as a historic monument in 1986;
- House with iron rings, listed as a historic monument in 1990;
- Forges de Caussanus, listed as historic monuments in 1991.
How to get to?
From Paris: 6 hr 20 min (624 km) via A20
From Toulouse: 1 hr 8 min (81.3 km) via A62
From Andorra: 3 hr 28 min (262 km) via N20
From Barcelona: 4 hr 54 min (472 km) via AP-7 and A61
From Madrid: 8 hr 38 min (877 km) via A-1 and A64
From Monaco: 6 hr 33 min (661 km) via A8
From Moscow: 36 hr (3,400 km) via E30/M1
From Belgrade: 19 hr 22 min (1,963 km) via A4
From Istanbul: 29 hr (2,929 km) via E70
From Bern: 7 hr 45 min (813 km) via A89
Main information
Area: 33,2 km²
Population: 626
Coordinates: 44°03′24″N 1°39′59″E
Language: French
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
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