Overview

A walk through the city's old quarter is a must, leading curiosity-seekers through a maze of streets lined with houses dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Rue Saint-Rome and Rue des Changes are pedestrian-only streets offering lovely jaunts around the Place de la Capitole, which is home to a fair number of cafés and a weekly market. The square also harbours the Capitole (city hall), several rooms of which are devoted to the opera and the pictorial arts, with works by such artists as Didier-Pouget, Gervais and Albert Laurens.

Near the square, the Notre-Dame du Taur church (14th century) is a showcase of Gothic architecture. Farther north, the Basilique Saint-Sernin -- Toulouse's spiritual gem, on which construction began in the 11th century -- is the largest Romanesque basilica in France and features a splendid, octagonal bell tower. On Rue de Metz, the Musée des Augustins offers, among other things, a beautiful collection of Gothic and Romanesque sculptures. For its part, the Église des Jacobins harbours a "palm-tree" ribbed vault that is definitely worth seeing. Moreover, the church's luminosity is both remarkable and inspirational. South of the church, the Hôtel d'Assézat, whose cornerstone was laid in 1555, was once home to the capitoul, the city's local magistrate. Today, it houses the Fondation Bemberg's great art collection.

For many decades now, Toulouse has been a frontrunner in the aeronautical and aerospace industries. Indeed, the Concorde, the Airbus and the Ariane rocket are among its great pioneering works. Also associated with Toulouse are such trail-blazing aviators as Clément Adler, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet. In keeping with this theme, the Cité de l'Espace, a futuristic space centre, will provide both amateur and expert stargazers with guaranteed thrills!

Going Out

Regional, national and international plays grace the marquees of a great many theatres, and there's no shortage of events of all kinds in the Toulouse region. In March and April, the Cinéma d'Amérique Latine, the Foire Internationale de Toulouse and the Printemps du Rire are prominently featured, while music (classical, jazz and pop) remains front and centre throughout the summer. What's more, in October, the city hosts the Salon International des Technologies Avancées. Last but not least, Rue Alsace-Lorraine offers some great window-shopping.

Where on earth

Toulouse (pop. 700,000) is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées (Central Pyrenees) region. Traversed by the Garonne river in southwestern France, it stands proudly between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which give it a Southern French flavour for which it is still famous.