Book a flight to Toulouse

For a glimpse of the future, a trip to the ‘Space City’ or Cité de l'Espace is a must. This fascinating science park includes a planetarium and plenty of interactive exhibits that will enthral children and adults alike. It’s a great opportunity to see what the European Space Agency is planning for the next few years, and man’s continued mission to explore space.

Airbus is one of the city’s biggest employers, and you can take a guided tour of the huge factory where these 21st-century aeroplanes are made. You will need to book in advance, but it’s well worth it if you’re a real aviation enthusiast. There are no tours on Sundays.

Snaking through 240km of French countryside and the centre of Toulouse is the gorgeous Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With easy, family-friendly cycle and hiking routes along its banks, it’s a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and a chance to stretch your legs. If you prefer to be on the water, boat tours take you down the Garonne River and through to the canal.

Toulouse is famous for its alternative arts scene and there are plenty of arts collectives throughout the city experimenting with visual arts, performance and dance, and music. It’s a vibrant scene worth exploring if you want to find out about the avant-garde movement. La Grainerie is one of the best places to encounter this sub-culture at its best.

The city’s museums are full of interesting artefacts, exhibitions and displays. One of the more unusual is the 19th-century water tower of Château d'Eau, which is now a photography museum and gallery. For a glimpse back into the city’s ancient past, the Musée Saint-Raymond takes you on a journey from Toulouse’s Roman roots and through the centuries. Even the building itself dates from the 16th century so you are surrounded by the history of the region.

Toulouse has a considerable reputation among food lovers as one of the best places to experience authentic French cuisine at its best. The regional speciality is duck, especially dishes such as duck confit. It also forms the basis of the region’s most famous dish, cassoulet, a hearty stew made with white beans, duck, and a rich sauce flavoured with fresh herbs.

The best place to find the essence of Toulouse cuisine is in the little restaurants and bistros clustered around Place Saint Sernin. Recipes are handed down through the generations, so one version of cassoulet will taste very different from another.

This region of France is also famous for one of the most sought-after ingredients of all, truffles. Truffle noir, also known as ‘Black Diamonds’ are used extensively in Toulouse cuisine.

And if you have a sweet tooth, you can try Violettes de Toulouse – crystalised violet petals that have an incredibly subtle yet unique flavour. 

If you love shopping, Toulouse is an absolute delight. Filled with markets, boutiques and modern malls, you can choose your retail experience according to your mood. The Marché Victor Hugo is the city’s main market, while flea markets and antique markets pop up every weekend and are a charming way to spend a morning browsing for unusual gifts or trinkets to take home.

The ’Fripperies’ or second-hand shops are perfect if you love the vintage look, and Toulouse is also famous for its bookstores. The majority of boutiques and independent stores are clustered around the streets running off from the Capitole and along the Gambetta, where you can interrupt your bargain hunting with a coffee and pain aux chocolat in one of the many cafés.