3 Best Sights in Toulouse and the Languedoc, France

When peace arrived in the late Middle Ages, the town prospered and many rich residents built pink-sandstone Gothic-style houses—a sizable number of which still line the main street, Grand-rue Raymond VII. Today, many are occupied by painters, sculptors, weavers, leatherworkers, and even creators of illuminated manuscripts, whose ateliers and stores lure the summer crowds.

The small museum has relics from the town's medieval past, plus items uncovered during excavations of the 372-foot-deep Cordes Well.

For proof that life is indeed sweet in Cordes-sur-Ciel, visit this two-room museum dedicated to sugar and chocolate. It showcases the confectionery creations of noted chef Yves Thuriès.