Toulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The city at the Garonne river is on the site of an ancient Roman settlement; even today many of the smaller streets follow their Roman counterparts and many of the red brick buildings are of a pseudo-Roman style. These buildings are also what gives Toulouse its nickname La ville rose (The pink city).In the middle ages, Toulouse was one of the richest cities of France due to the sale of blue coloring (pastel) extracted from woad plants. This monopoly was only broken when the Portuguese began to import Indigo to Europe. Over 50 hotels, mansions, remain witness to the past wealth.
PLACE TO VISIT
The Bazacle - is a structure in and on the banks of the River Garonne in the French city of Toulouse. It originated as a ford across the river Garonne, used from the 12th century onwards. The name bazacle comes from the Latin word vadaculum, meaning "little ford". The first bridge across the Garonne was built here, where the water was shallowest.
Pont-Neuf - despite its name(like the Parisian bridge of the same name, it's title is most probably derived from the French for 'New', not 'Nine'.), the only old bridge across the Garonne river; built between 1544 and 1626
Canal du Midi - The Canal du Midi or Canal des Deux Mers is a 240 km long canal in the south of France, le Midi. The canal connects the Garonne River to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean. The Canal du Midi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Georges Labit Museum - Asian arts and Egyptian antiquities museum in an exotic and mediterranean garden built in 1893.
Capitole - the imposing and palatial townhall and theatre, its beautiful facade facing onto the grand Place du Capitole.
Hôtel d'Assézat - one of the most appealing of the many old mansions of the city.
Basilique Saint Sernin - a church from the 11th Century, partly restored by the famous french architect Viollet-le-Duc.
The Jardin des Plantes - is a public park and botanical garden located in Toulouse. The Garden has several old buildings or vestiges. The Natural History Museum dates to the end of the 16th century. The entrance door in the garden is a reconstitution of one of the doors of old Capitole, and dates back to 1886. The Northern door at Ozenne street was drawn by Virebent.
Cité de l'Espace - The "space city" is another of Toulouse's "aviation" attractions. However you must be aware that it is not exactly a museum but a sort of scientific theme park without rides. There are some replicas of spacecraft and other exhibits, many of the latter interactive in some minor way. There's also a small planetarium. The park is suited well to 5-14 year old children, everybody else should probably spare themselves the trip. It's situated fairly outside the city but there's a bus service starting outside the Jolimont metro station.
Airbus - Airbus offers tours of their facilities; the tour takes about 60 minutes and includes a guide who will tell you some background about the company; the screening of a promotional / historical video, and a look at the A380 production line. Photography is strictly forbidden, and you need to bring a piece of photo identification. Book ahead. Those who have done the tour before 2006 should note that tours now set off from a new purpose built structure shaped like a cross-section of the A380. The building can be difficult to find so check the website in advance.
Toulouse Cathedral - is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in the city of Toulouse.The interior is as disconcerting as the exterior because the two sections are not on the same axis and juxtapose two styles of Gothic architecture. A massive round pillar, built at the beginning of the 16th century in an attempt to begin the transept, now stands incongruously between the two parts, lining up with the center of the nave in the west, and with the south pillars of the choir in the east.
Notre-Dame de la Daurade - is a basilica in Toulouse, France. It was established in 410 when Emperor Honorius allowed the conversion of Pagan temples to Christianity. The original building of Notre-Dame de la Daurade was a temple dedicated to Apollon.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Regular scheduled domestic and international flights arrive at Blagnac airport, about 20 minutes from the city. It serves connections from Paris about every hour. There are many other flights as well, for example to London, Munich and Frankfurt. To get to the city from the airport, you can use a bus shuttle for about 5.00 €. Going by taxi will cost about 20 €.
By train - Paris : 5h (by TGV) to 7h30 (common train). Bordeaux : 2h30. Marseille : 4h00. The train station is almost in the heart of the city. Cheap tickets can be found via iDTGV which offers TGV tickets from Paris starting from about 18 euro.
By car - Major highways towards Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Barcelona.
By bus - Bus terminal at the railway station.
