Best things to do in Toulouse
Known as "La Ville Rose" (The Pink City) because of its terracotta buildings, Toulouse is a lively and cosmopolitan place, thanks to its large student population and thriving aeronautics industry.
Viewpoints and panoramas
Basilique Saint-Sernin: Climb to the top of this historic basilica for stunning views over the city’s pink-hued buildings, and beyond.
Pont Neuf: This venerable old bridge, dating back to the 16th century, offers superlative views of both the Garonne and the city.
The best districts
Place de Capitol: Prettiest at sunset, when permeated by a pink glow reflected off the huge Capitole’s brickwork, the square is best appreciated from one of the numerous cafés which line its western side.
Saint-Cyprien: The city’s youthful bohemian district is flush with trendy boutiques, bars and bits of street art.
Museums
Musée Aeroscopia: Tracing the history of aviation via 25 aircraft, highlights include a Louis Blériot XI, a huge Super Guppy cargo plane, as used by NASA, a Concorde and an Airbus 380.
Musée départemental de la résistance et de la déportation: Through photos, artefacts and dioramas commemorating the local resistance, this moving museum follows the plight of those living under occupation.
Les Abattoirs: This converted slaughterhouse is home to a world-class contemporary and modern art museum, the best in southwest France.
Parks and gardens
Historical monuments
Basilique Saint-Sernin: With its wedding cake bell tower – an emblem of Toulouse – the Basilique St-Sernin is arguably southern France’s greatest Romanesque church and the largest of its style in Western Europe.
Capitole de Toulouse: Admire the neoclassical symmetry and elegance of the building’s magnificent 130m-long facade - preferably from one of the square’s many convivial cafés.
Day trips in the area
La Montagne Noire: The western arm of the massif is a France time has left behind, where half-forgotten villages punctuate verdant hills.
Castelnaudary: With its wide Grand Bassin, or reservoir, the town is the major pleasure port on the canal, and a great place to start a waterborne trip towards the Mediterranean.
Activities for families in Toulouse
Plane buffs will be in heaven here - Toulouse being the home of Airbus - but there are some magical museums here too plus lots more vigorous activities for families.
Airbus Tours: A fantastic family day out, choose from four 90-minute tours including the “Airbus Kids tour”, which is specifically aimed at 6-12-year-old budding pilots and engineers and explains how planes fly and visits the assembly line. Make a day of it and get a combined ticket with the Musée Aeroscopia.
Interactive museums: There’s only one winner here: La Halle de la Machine, home to a magical array of moving mechanisms including a roundabout and a huge spider. However, the star exhibit is a 47-tonne, 14m-high minotaur, which can carry up to 50 people on its daily outings.
Markets: The markets here are great fun. Highlights include place Arnaud-Bernard and place St-Étienne for books; place du Capitole for clothes, food and general items; and covered markets at place des Carmes, place St-Cyprien and place Victor-Hugo for fresh produce.
Free things to do in Toulouse
With festivals galore, pop-up summer beaches and fantastic architecture, holidays to Toulouse need not be expensive at all.
Parks and gardens: The town’s main park, Jardin des Plantes, is a lively place, complete with kids’ rides, ice-cream stands and an ersatz mountain and waterfall.
Festivals: Toulouse hosts a wealth of music, dance and art festivals that bring in top-notch names from around the world. On the first weekend in February Fête de la Violette celebrates the violet via exhibitions relating to flower production, as well as a market and events; and in April it’s the Carnaval de Toulouse, a pre-Lenten week of partying with parades, music and other events.
Pop-up beaches: From mid-July to early September, the excellent Toulouse Plages is a series of three pop-up beaches: Prairie des Filtres, EDF Bazacle and Port Viguerie, complete with amenities and free events.
Walk the hôtels particuliers: Scattered throughout the old town, these remarkable buildings are a testament to the tremendous prosperity the town enjoyed in the 15th and 16th centuries; go seek them out.
Nature and outdoor activities
Being so close to the Pyrenees and lots of different waterways means that there’s no excuse not to get out and about.
Skiing: Just a stone’s throw from the Pyrenees, decent downhill skiing is on offer between December and April, while cross-country skiing, or ski de fond, is also a possibility.
Hiking: The highest concentration of paths (and the best hiking scenery) is found in the Pyrenees and its foothills, where you will find an extensive network of yellow- and red-marked GRP (grande randonnée de pays) paths as well as HRP (haute route des Pyrénées) routes.
Water sports: The placid waters of both the Garonne River and Canal du Midi present excellent possibilities for kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding.
Cycling: Toulouse is a bike-friendly city boasting dedicated cycling paths and several bike rental outlets. Lengthier rides can be enjoyed on the Canal du Midi cycle path which takes you through dozens of villages and vineyards.