It was once the mighty stronghold of Cathars who resisted medieval Catholicism, surrounded by castles and fortresses – and later, in more enlightened times, nicknamed La Ville rose (“The Pink City”) thanks to its unique architecture made of pinkish terracotta bricks.
Toulouse in southwest France is the fourth largest city, after Paris, Lyon and Marseilles, and just slightly ahead of Nice. The city boasts a unique southern charm, distinctly Occitan in flavour – away from French and Spanish influences.
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Toulouse means the same to the Occitan region as Barcelona means to Spanish Catalonia. Both cities are fiefdoms far from their capitals, with distinct cultures, customs, history and their own languages. And as for cuisine, Occitan stew is a bucket list meal if ever there was one.
But while Barcelona attracts tens of millions of tourists from around the world each year with its Gothic quarter, the alleyways and cathedrals of Toulouse still have an air of mystery, a best-kept secret for those who walk the path less travelled.
But Toulouse is also a place of paradoxes. In the 20th century, it became the centre of French aerospace engineering, and its university in particular is a hub of ground-breaking science and technology. It’s also brimming with art, theatre, live music, restaurants and strangely enough, Irish-style pubs and several gay bars, making it one of France’s top nightlife spots. Here, we unravel some of what the city has to offer travellers…
Place du Capitole
(Image: Stewart Carr)
Like all major European cities, Toulouse has a grand square where its Place du Capitole and Hôtel de Ville de Toulouse stands in centre stage. The pink rococo palace, built in 1750, houses both Toulouse’s city hall and its opera house and theatre, where a packed programme of art exhibitions and live concerts is held throughout the year. The square is surrounded by al fresco restaurants and cafés and still hosts busy markets several days a week.
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UNESCO World Heritage sites
(Image: Stewart Carr)
There seem to be pink churches on almost every street in Toulouse, but there are three ancient religious sites which are must-see destinations, all with cavernous interiors, crypts and cloisters. Firstly, Le Couvent des Jacobins (The Church of the Jacobins), built in 1230 to combat the ‘heresy’ of Catharism, in the region, famed for its reliquary of St Thomas Aquinas and its crypt.
Secondly, the Basilica of Saint Sernin, a towering 11th-century abbey named after Toulouse’s first bishop, was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998 and is one of the most buildings in the city. And thirdly, the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne (St Stephen’s Cathedral), a national monument and the cathedral of Toulouse, built in the 13th century but with much earlier origins.
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Pont Neuf
(Image: Getty Images)
Another iconic site in Toulouse is its 400-year-old bridge, the Pont Neuf. Work was begun on the seven-arched bridge in 1544 and finally completed in 1632 by architect Jacques Lemercier, who was forced to contend with the violent floods and shifting mud banks of the Garonne river – eventually triumphing to make an innovative bridge that still stands as a gateway to the city centre.
Bars, restaurants and nightlife
(Image: Stewart Carr)
As France’s fourth largest city with a big student population, Toulouse has a vibrant nightlife as well as a café culture that makes it a perfect getaway to relax. The Fat Cat is a well-regarded jazz bar, and Café Théâtre Les 3T is a famous comedy club in elegant settings, although non-French speakers may find themselves out of place.
The city has a penchant for ‘Irish’ pubs, which perhaps have more in common with our Wetherspoons, The Melting Pot pub, The Thirsty Monk and The Black Lion, to name just a few. The city also has a healthy LGBT scene, P3 is a relaxing bar paying homage to the three sisters (Prue, Paige and Phoebe) from the US series ‘Charmed’, and Le Bear is a popular club for gay men.
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A base to explore
(Image: Stewart Carr)
Toulouse is brimming with things to do and places to see. But the city is also a great base for exploring the wider Occitania region and its beautiful countryside dominated by the Pyrenees. Just over 50 miles northeast of Toulouse is the ancient city of Albi, perhaps comparable to Canterbury or Durham, with its Bishop’s Palace and Cathedral still painted in the same beautiful vivid colours as its 1300s heyday, accessible by train or coach.
Some 60 miles to the southeast of Toulouse is the spectacular Cathar fortress, the castle of Carcassonne, a breathtaking sight among the rolling hills of Occitania, and an inspiration for Disney’s Florida castle. The town is buzzing with historical-themed shops and restaurants and is accessible by train.
Further afield, rail travellers can take the train to the cities of Perpignan, Narbonne and Beziers on the Mediterranean coast, or travel west to Lourdes and even Biarritz in the Basque country.
Flights and places to stay
(Image: Stewart Carr)
Ryanair operates flights from London Stansted Airport to Toulouse International Airport from as little as a £35 return fare, while Easyjet also carries a service between Gatwick and Toulouse, with roundtrips from £94. British Airways offers return flights between Heathrow Airport and Toulouse from £95. A three-night stay at the Residhome Toulouse Ponts Jumeaux self-catered apartment rated 8.9 out of 10 on Booking.com, comes to £181. Elsewhere, a double room at the Ibis Central Canal du Midi for three nights costs £171, while the plush Grand Hotel de l’Opera over the same period comes to £276.
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