Castres - An industrial town
Castres is recognized by being an industrial town located in a
rural region. The town of Castres is situated towards the south
western area of France, within the region of Languedoc
Roussillon, and has a population of about 62,000 inhabitants,
being among the largest industrial spots of the surroundings.
The town of Castres is the capital of a region in the department
of Tarn, within the Midi Pyrenees. Some centuries ago, between
1791 and 1798, this town was named prefecture of Tarn, gaining
popularity throughout the region and the country by it. During
the last centuries, it has gained a high fame and reputation
within all France due to the different created within its
industries.
There are several industries by which Castres is widely known.
Among Castres' industries we can find, for example, several
electrical engineering and mechanical related ones. The town of
Castres produces and sells a wide range of products which might
comprehend chemicals, pharmaceuticals, granite, textile, fur
clothing, leather clothing, machine tools, and wooden furniture
among many others.
Castres was originally called Castrum, a word which in Latin
refers to a fortified area. This town is very antique, with
origins that can be traced back to the year 648 AD, and
therefore it has a great amount of ancient constructions and
historic spots for tourists to meet. Since then, this town has
gone through a great amount of different periods, historical
moments, and events which have left their mark on it. Visiting
this town can be as meeting several different historic moments
by simply walking around.
There are several characteristics by which Castres is very
popular and world wide known, although one of the main ones is
the fact that it is one of the main stops on the pilgrimage of
Santiago de Compostela. This town has a very antique and
interesting church which dates from as long ago as the IX
century, and which is among the main places to meet for the
Santiago de Compostela's pilgrims. This way, there are several
different reasons making this town a very interesting and
attractive one for tourists to meet.