Toulouse is a perfect destination for a weekend and a fantastic base to explore the South of France. It may not have the glamour of the Côte d’Azur or the elegance of Bordeaux, but Toulouse has an interesting heritage, a beautiful waterfront and it is one of the liveliest cities in France.
Toulouse is the 4th most populated city in France and the capital of the Occitanie region. It is known as la ville rose (the pink city) due to its widespread use of bricks in its architecture since the Middle Ages.
It is also an important stop in St. James’ Way in France, with historical churches and hospitals that have been hosting pilgrims for centuries.
Toulouse is an important university city and industrial pole – it hosts the main factury of European consortium Airbus, where all its commercial airplanes are assembled. It is also famous for its rugby club, the most successful in Europe.
We visited Toulouse as part of a road trip in the South of France and stayed there for 4 nights, to be able to visit other beautiful towns nearby, like Carcassonne.
2 days is enough to visit everything that there is to see in Toulouse and some museums or other activities. In this post we will tell you what things to do in Toulouse in a, where to eat, places you can visit nearby and some tips to make the most of your visit there.
We arrived in Toulouse by car from Madrid (around 700 km, 7h30), after stopping in San Sebastián on our way to spend some hours in a city we love and enjoy one of the best foody experiences in the world: their pintxos.
Travel tips in Toulouse
How to arrive in Toulouse
Toulouse-Blagnac airport (TLS) has direct connections to over 30 European cities, and beyond (like Montreal).
To arrive in the city centre from the airport, you can take Tram T2 or bus 30 (single ticket 1.70 €) or the airport shuttle (single ticket 8 €).
You can check the best flight deals to Toulouse from your nearest airport using the search form below:
If you arrive by car, Toulouse is well connected by motorways A61, A62, A64 and A68. It is located halfway between Bordeaux and Montpellier, roughly 250 km away from each of them. The distance to Paris in 680 km.
If you are travelling by car, check our next section about how to park for free in Toulouse!
Toulouse is well connected by train, including high-speed TGV.
Free parking in Toulouse
Travelling to cities by car can be very annoying and expensive! In Toulouse city centre, car parks charge 27€ per day on average and most hotels do not have a free parking for their guests.
If you don’t want to lose money just to keep your car parked while you visit the city, check out these tips! This is information that we couldn’t find anywhere, we found out ourselves and now we are sharing it with you.
Parking on the street in all central Toulouse is limited to 2h and costs 3€ (after 2h you must move the car to another place). You can, however, park your car for free on Sundays and every night from 7 pm to 9 am (good luck finding a place, though!). This includes all the area between the Canal du Midi and the Garonne river.
But don’t worry! If you move outside of the Canal du Midi, you can park your car on the street as you as you wish, and there is plenty of space. The best is to park somewhere near a metro station so you can easily go back to your hotel in the centre!
Our pick was Jolimont, just 4 metro stations away from Capitole, the very centre of Toulouse, and with many free spaces. You can spend your money in something more interesting than parking, like a good meal and wine!
Moving around Toulouse
The city centre of Toulouse is not that big, so you can easily walk to most places of interest.
Anyway, Toulouse metro is great, fast and unexpensive. It has 2 lines and is fully automatic. It opens until 3 am on Friday and Saturday evening and until midnight on weekdays. is very frequent and fast.
2 modern tram lines and the bus network complete the public transport system.
A single ticket costs 1.70€ and a 10 trip ticket 13.70€. There are daily tickets available: a 1-day ticket costs 6.10€. You can check all ticket prices, the network map and timetables in the operator website, Tisséo.
Public transport is included in Toulouse Pass Tourisme, but considering that entrance is free in most main tourist attractions, we don’t think it’s worth it, unless you are planning to visit many museums.
Things to see in Toulouse
Place du Capitole
Let’s start our visit in Place du Capitole. This is the main square in Toulouse. It has a square plan, with orange brick buildings on three of its sides, and the monumental Capitole on the remaining one.
The Capitole was built in the 18th century and its name is derived from the capitouls – a kind of municipal magistrates that existed before the French Revolution – who proposed its construction.
This massive neo-classical building houses both the city hall and opera theatre of Toulouse.
Entrance to the city hall area of the Capitole is free, and it is certainly worth it.
Its halls were decorated in the late 19th century and are a magnificient example of official art of the French Third Republic, including frescoes, marble columns and statues.
This photo is of the Salle des Ilustres, the most richly decorated hall in the Capitole.
You can also see the marriage hall and the current city assembly.
Basilique de Saint-Sernin
From Place du Capitole, you can take rue du Taur to arrive in Basilique de Saint-Sernin.
Saint-Sernin, or St Saturninm was the first bishop of Toulouse. According to tradition, he has condemned to be tied to a bull that dragged him around the city until the rope broke – that’s why the street where the bull ran is called rue du Taur, that is, Bull Street.
When you take this street from Place du Capitole, you will first see a Gothic brick church integrated in the surrounding buildings – Notre Dame du Taur, at the site where Saint-Sernin was first buried.
Rue du Taur is nowadays a picturesque street, with typical Toulouse architecture and many cafés and bistrots. At the end of the street, stands the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
Basilique de Saint-Sernin was built in the 11th and 12th centuries and it is considered the largest Romanesque building still remaining in Europe, as well as one of the finest examples of the French Romanesque style.
It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France, as it has hosted pilgrims en route to Spain for centuries.
Originally, the basilica was the church of an abbey, but the rest of the monastic buildings have now disappeared.
Entrance to the church is free and we highly recommend it. Before entering, take a moment to admire the beautiful carved tympanum of the gate.
The structure of the basilica is remarkably tall for a 12th century construction, a real engineering feat of its time. There are some original frescoes on the vault and some walls, and a beautiful marble altar. Go around the church and don’t miss the apse and the crypt.
Couvent des Jacobins
Now let’s go back towards Place du Capitole and take rue Romiguières to end up in Couvent des Jacobins, the other historical highlight in this area of Toulouse.
This 13th c. brick monastery is one of the best examples of Languedocien (Southern French) Gothic architecture. Its exterior is very sober, but its interior is really beautiful.
Entrance to the church is free, but visiting the cloister costs 5€.
The church has had a turbulent history. In 1812 it was turned into a military barracks and a floor was added to suit it better to this use. This was removed when the soldiers left and the beauty of the building was rediscovered.
During WWI it served as refuge for many pieces of Paris museums.
The architecture of Couvent des Jacobins is unique – it has a simple structure of 80 by 20 metres divided in 2 naves (never seen a Gothic church with even naves) and 22 metres tall, creating a massive space!
The apse is solved with a masterpiece known as The Palm, a column with 11 ribs that allows a large volume and windows with light.
Check out the Gothic geometrical frescoes, which were recovered during the church restoration starting in 1920.
Garonne river
We are now very close to the Garonne river, that runs through the heart of Toulouse. Most of the old city lies on its right bank (rive droite). It is a fantastic place to have a walk and hang out.
Notre-Dame de la Daurade
Notre-Dame de la Daurade is a neo-classical building that dominates the right bank riverfront. It is one of the most important religious sites in Toulouse – the current church was built in the 19th c., but there once stood a Roman temple that was turned into a Christian basilica in the 5th century.
La Daurade is a bustling park next to the Basilica. Here you can take a cruise boat of Les Bateaux Toulousains – we recommend the 1-hour trip (12 €) that takes you around the Garonne river and the beautiful Canal de Brienne that connects the Garonne to the Canal du Midi.
There is a viewpoint here from which you can enjoy the best view of the Pont Neuf and the left bank waterfront – including the iconic Dôme de la Grave.
Pont Neuf
Despite its name, the Pont neuf (New Bridge) is the oldest bridge still standing in Toulouse. It was built in the 16th century using brick and stone. It is especially beautiful during sunset and at night.
Espace EDF Bazacle
This is a hydro power station in the centre of Toulouse! You can see the dam in river Garonne and a masonry building that houses the turbines and other power plant machinery.
The power plant was built in the late 19th c. and it is still working. Nowadays it is also used as an exhibition space.
Dôme de la Grave
The dome of the chapel in La Grave Hospital, known as Dôme de la Grave, dominates the waterfront of the Garonne left bank, helping local’s orientation. This massive dome was built in the 19th century and is the most photographed building in Toulouse.
Next to La Grave there is a wall that was built to try to control the floods of the Garonne and limit the heavy damages it used to inflict to the city. This created Port Viguerie, a harbour were a Ferris wheel is installed in summer. It’s a great place to take a break!
Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Jacques
The Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Jacques is a historical hospital built in the 12th c. and enlarged in the 17th-18th centuries. As it hosted and treated St James’ pilgrims, it is part of the World Heritage Site Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
It doesn’t function as a hospital any more, but hosts administrative offices. It completes the Garonne riverfront, between the Pont Neuf and the Dome.
Just across the street, don’t miss the Château d’Eau, a 19th c. water deposit that now hosts a photography gallery and exhibitions.
Then you can cross the Pont Neuf and get back to the right bank, where we will discover the other half of old Toulouse!
Hôtel d'Assézat
Don’t miss Hôtel d’Assézat, one of the most beautiful buildings of the French Renaissance!
It stands just 150 metres away from Pont Neuf. This hôtel particulier was built from 1555 for a rich merchant, Pierre d’Assézat, who died before its completion. It combines the ubiquotous bricks with stone.
The palace is in a perfect state of preservation and it is richly decorated, with a clear influence from Italian manierism. Its ornaments combine classical mythology and the fascination for the New World in a comical way.
Hôtel d’Assézat lies very close to rue de Metz, the main artery running through Toulouse city centre to Pont Neuf. This street was opened in the 19th century to direct traffic and modernise the city and has some remarkable palaces built at that time.
Rue de Metz will take you to the Augustines Museum and the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne.
Saint-Étienne: the Cathedral and its neighbourhood
The Cathedral of Saint-Étienne is one of the strangest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. It is not the only one to have been built in several stages, or to join two buildings in one – but none as puzzling as this one!
Outside, it looks like an asymmetrical building, quite strange at that time. When you enter, you realise that there are two distinct parts, with different styles… and a different axis.
The Cathedral of Toulouse is the result of joining two churches – both of them were started in the 13th c.
First, a Southern French Gothic church, with a really wide nave. This part contains the main entrance and rose window.
The construction of another church started some decades later, following the Northern French Gothic style that was becoming the most popular throughout Europe. This project was not finished, but both churches were joined into one to form the current cathedral.
The Cathedral of Saint-Étienne is not only interesting because of its strange structure, but its interior is beautiful and has some remarkable works.
It has some of the oldest stained glass windows in Toulouse and the whole region, which play beautifully with the light and the interior space. The choir and chapels of the newer “Northern” part are wonderful too.
The walnut organ just hanging on the wall (swallow’s nest position) is the icing on the most bizarre cathedral in France. It was built in the 1610s, which makes it the oldest in the city.
The neighbourhood of Saint-Étienne, around the cathedral is beautiful and surprisingly quiet. If you prefer bustling areas, go to Place St-Georges, just North of the cathedral, full of cafés and restaurants.
Carmes
Carmes is a cosy and trendy neighbourhood stretching South of the Pont Neuf along the Garonne river. Its atmosphere invites you to have dinner in one of its bistrots and linger in its terraces. You can enjoy local food in marché des Carmes or try one of the Indian, Lebanese and Moroccan restaurants in the area.
Carmes has many cosy streets and corners, but also one of the main historical churches in Toulouse – Notre-Dame de la Dalbade, built in the end of the 15th century following the typical South French Gothic style.
Check out the Hôtel de Bagis or Hôtel de Clary, a beautiful Renaissance hôtel particulier very close to la Dalbade.
Canal du Midi
Canal du Midi connects the Garonne river in Toulouse with the Mediterranean, 240 km away, thus allowing navigation between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean through the South of France.
It was built in the 17th century, and considered one of the greatest construction works of its time.
Actually, Canal du Midi is connected to the Garonne river through the smaller Canal de Brienne. This one ends in the canal intersection (Port de l’Embouchure), where both the Canal du Midi and the Canal Latéral de la Garonne start. We sailed up to there from the Garonne with the boat tour of Bateaux Toulousains.
The Canal Latéral connects Bordeaux and Toulouse, running approximately parallel to the Garonne river. Along with the Canal du Midi, it forms the Canal des Deux Mers (Two Seas Canal).
Canal du Midi runs approximately parallel to the boulevards that define the old city of Toulouse, just a 5 to 10 minute walk away. It is very popular for runners and cyclists, but you can also walk by the canal to visit some places of interest in the East of the old city like St-Aubin Church or the Cathedral… or to arrive in the Japanese Garden.
Grand Rond and around
Grand Rond is a huge roundabout (with a diameter of 200 m) between the Canal du Midi and the neighbourhood of Saint-Étienne. What’s so special about it? Well, inside it there is a lovely 19th-century English garden with a fountain and a kiosk. It opens every day from 7.45 am to 6 pm.
The Grand Rond is connected with the smaller Jardin Royal, of a similar style, with neo-classical statues and a pond with a hut.
Just to the South of the Grand Rond stand the Botanical Gardens and the Muséum de Toulouse.
Japanese Garden
Metro: Compans Caffareli or Canal du Midi stations (line B). Opens at 7.45 until 8 pm in summer and 6 pm in winter.
Many visitors miss the Japanese Garden in Toulouse (Jardin Japonais Pierre Baudis), but it is beautiful!
It is inside the Compans-Caffareli Gardens, next to the Canal du Midi. It is inspired in the classical Japanese gardens, containing all its typical elements (the islands, a dry waterfall, a Mount Fuji, a red bridge…)
Museums in Toulouse
Musée des Augustins is an art museum located in a former monastery. In September 2020 it was closed for renovation.
Muséum de Toulouse is the second largest Natural History Museum in France and the first in the world that included a prehistorical collection.
Ticket price: 7 €. Opening hours 10 am to 6 pm Tue-Sun. Mondays closed.
Cité de l’Espace is an outdoor museum in the outskirts of Toulouse dedicated to spaceflight. It has full-scale models of the Ariane 5 rocket, as well as MIR and Soyuz modules.
Ticket price: 24.50 € high season, 21.50 € low season. Check opening hours on their website.
The Airbus factory organises guided tours (between 15.50 and 24€).Visiting an airplane factory is very interesting and not something you can do in every city.
You can continue learning about airplanes in Aeroscopia, a civil and military airplane museum, or taking the guided tour of the airport.
Where to eat in Toulouse
Food in Toulouse is great and varied, and considerably cheaper than in Paris.
This is the South of France, and that means you have to try some duck meat (breast or confit) or foie gras. Duck fat is also used to fry chips… not great for a diet, but it is for your taste buds!
If you want to go for a salad, the Landaise (with duck gizzards) is very popular, and something really Southern French. Or you are not into that kind of stuff, a goat cheese salad (salade de chèvre) is always a good choice.
The most typical dish from Toulouse and its region is the cassoulet. This is a stew made by cooking white beans and meat (pork sausages, but also duck confit or goose) slowly in a casserole. It is delicious, but not recommended on a hot day!
Toulouse sausages are the city specialty, typically used in cassoulet, but also served grilled (or even added to salads!). It is a fresh sausage made with pork meat and belly (at least 80% meat), salt and pepper. You should try it because they’re lovely!
You can also taste Iberian ham and pork and other Spanish specialties, they are easier to find than a crêperie in Toulouse!
During our stay in Toulouse we found some good restaurants that we would like to share with you. We were also guided by a friend who lives in the city.
The Victor Hugo market, quite close to Capitole, is a foody hotspot – not only there are some restaurants inside the market but the whole area is full of great bistrots and tapas restaurants as well as good food shops. We also loved the atmosphere, so ended up trying different places around there:
Bistroquet à la Une was our first in Toulouse, and our favourite! Classic French recipes with a twist and international food in portions to share. We loved the duck breast and the roasted camembert with apples and pork chips.
La Rosa Negra is a tapas restaurant with some Spanish influence (and ingredients like Iberian pork or Piquillo peppers) between Capitole and Victor Hugo. Very friendly staff and good tapas.
If you fancy some cheese and charcuterie, you can try Boucherie du J’Go, a butcher that serves some of their products in a terrace, as well as chips fried in duck fat and hummus.
Les 4 Z’Arts in La Daurade is one of the best value for money places in Toulouse. The chef used to work in a Michelin star restaurant.
One evening, we had dinner at Le May, a cosy traditional restaurant with daily menus (18 € for appetiser + main + dessert). Large portions and good food, with some classics like oeuf cocotte, homemade pâté and some duck dishes. We especially enjoyed their stir fried duck.
When you go to the Cathedral, you can check out Place St Georges nearby. It is a bustling square full of cafés, but we found it more as a place to have a coffee than lunch.
Our friend recommended us to try Le Sylene, a beer bar just across the Cathedral, but they had closed the kitchen (we still didn’t get used to eating lunch before 2 pm)…
So we ate in the place next to it – Les Frelotins, a beer & wine bar with salads, cheese and charcuterie. After a heavy dinner the night before, a salad was just great – with Toulouse sausage, much better than it sounds!
Best places to visit around Toulouse
The South of France has many interesting places. You could stay here for a week or longer and wouldn’t get bored at all!
Toulouse is a great base to visit some of the important cities of Occitanie:
The best one-day trip around Toulouse is visiting the wonderful mediaeval citadel of Carcassonne. It is just 1 hour by car and it’s a place you shouldn’t miss if you are in the area. Follow this link for our guide to Carcassonne!
On the way you can visit some picturesque villages like Castelnaudary.
Albi, another “pink city” by river Tarn is also 1 hour away and a popular destination.
Montauban, 55 km away from Toulouse, is another charming historical town by river Tarn, which is wonderful here. It is one of the most interesting places on the way to Bordeaux. Click here to read our walking tour of Montauban!
Once in Montauban, you should visit Moissac, whose abbey has one of the most beautiful Romanesque cloisters in Europe. Follow this link to read our guide of Moissac Abbey and its cloister, it will amaze you!
