Covered by red tiles and dressed in orange-shaded bricks, Toulouse has become the 4th largest metropolitan area (761 000 inhabitants) in France while keeping its strong local traditions lively. It already had a reputation for its refinement and independent spirit as early as the time of the troubadours. Welcoming, spontaneous and friendly, Toulouse can easily be visited on foot, from one charming, shop-lined little street to another, through small fountain-graced squares. Your stroll will take you by one sumptuous Renaissance mansion after another (there are dozens of them in the historic centre), the prestigious Capitole Square, the famous Saint-Sernin Basilica (the largest Romance edifice in Christendom), the Augustine and Jacobin Cloisters, the many museums, and finally along the sun-soaked banks of the Garonne and theCanal du Midi (a world heritage site).
A quintessentially southern city, Toulouse joyfully blends its heritage, music, theatre, opera and gastronomy with its festive nature. Toulouse has no trouble combining art de vivre with economic success. The cradle of aviation pioneers (Mermoz, Saint-Exupéry, etc.), the Concorde and the Ariane Rocket, the city has confirmed its position as the European leader in aeronautics and space. Fascinating visits to the Space Museum and the Airbus assembly lines will testify to this fact.
Intrigued by the potential of this marvellous city, which is accessible by air, motorway or TGV train, transglobe offers a weekend discovery tour of Toulouse and the area (Albi, for example)