Toulouse
The Pink City Of Brick On The Garonne, Capital Of European Aerospace, With The Romanesque Basilica Of Saint Sernin On The Way Of St James · Toulouse, Occitanie
Toulouse is the fourth-largest city in France and the capital of the Occitanie region, set on the Garonne river in the south-west. It is called the Pink City for its old buildings of soft red brick, which glow in the evening light. The centre is the Place du Capitole, a huge square in front of the town hall and theatre. Nearby, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin is one of the largest Romanesque churches in Europe and a great stop on the Way of St James, listed by UNESCO as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. The Jacobins convent has a tall Gothic church with a palm-tree column and a quiet cloister. Toulouse is also the centre of the European aerospace industry, home to Airbus, with factory tours, the Aeroscopia aircraft museum and the Cité de l'espace. The Canal du Midi starts here. The food is hearty: cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and sweets made from violets. Rugby is a passion, and Carcassonne is about an hour away.
Place du Capitole and the Garonne quays, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Toulouse, Occitanie, France
The city centre is open at all times, and the squares and quays are busiest in the evening. The Capitole's ceremonial rooms are usually open to visitors on most days when no official events are held; confirm. Saint-Sernin is open daily with a break at midday on some days, and the crypt and ambulatory have separate, shorter hours and a small fee; visiting stops during services. The Jacobins church is open daily except Mondays, with the cloister ticketed. City museums such as the Augustins and Saint-Raymond often close on Mondays or Tuesdays, and some have been under renovation, so confirm. The Cité de l'espace closes on some weekdays in low season and for a winter break. Airbus factory tours run on set days with limited places; they must be booked ahead, visitors need an identity document, nationality rules have applied, and the tour can be changed or cancelled with little notice for operational reasons, so confirm everything well in advance. Aeroscopia is open most days. The Victor Hugo covered market opens mornings, closed Mondays.