COLLONGES LA ROUGE ‘15

When we arrived at Collonges la Rouge, the sky was silvery with rainclouds but the sun was still shining golden through the trees. It felt like we were stepping into a dramatic painting. Collonges la Rouge is known for being entirely built of red sandstone with each building topped with moss-covered slate roofs. Every home. Every shop. Every restaurant. While I’ve found myself awestruck by vibrant, mismatched houses in places like Murano, Italy, there is something so beautiful and soothing about the visual harmony of a place like Collonges la Rouge.

One of the most charming pieces of this village is that each of the red sandstone bricks is a different size and shape, and that lack of uniformity gives each home its own unique character. Collonges la Rouge is so stunning and picturesque in fact, that this little village actually inspired the creation of an association called Les Plus Beaux Villages de France that now awards towns in France for their beauty.

While it is very much off the beaten path for most tourists visiting France, I do think it makes a fantastic day trip from Toulouse, just about 2 hours driving. We were visiting the grandparents who live in Brive-la-Gaillarde, so for us, it was just under 30 minutes driving. We visited in the evening, so it was cut short by the night sky and rain, but I know I will visit again someday!

Host brother, host sister, host grandma, host dad

Exploring

View of Collonges la Rouge from a rainy window

Meditation

Catching the host sister mid-dancing

“You crazy boy.” - Grandma