Unmissable visits in Toulouse

Are you planning a trip to Toulouse and wondering what to visit first? We offer you an overview of the unmissable tourist sites of Toulouse.

Toulouse is nicknamed "the pink city" and it has an exceptional heritage. Its history is rich and you can satisfy your curiosity and immerse yourself in its culture, in its museums. It is also a green city, with many parks and gardens, to take a break from nature. Finally, Toulouse is dynamic and will surprise you with unusual activities. Let's go for a guided tour of Toulouse's best tourist sites!

Opening photo: A magnificent aerial view of Toulouse. Photo: © saiko3p | Adobestock

A heritage tour in the "Pink City "

There are so many tours to do that it is difficult to make a selection. We therefore advise you to take a circuit to admire the beautiful heritage of the city, passing the following must-see monuments:

• Capitol Square is the heart of Toulouse city since the early 19th century. It is an emblematic place of the political life of Toulouse.
• The Saint-Sernin Basilica is probably the most beautiful religious monument in Toulouse, right in the historic city center. It has attracted many pilgrims and tourists for 2000 years!
• The Convent of the Jacobins is a medieval jewel and a place of pilgrimage, linked to the relics of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
• The Pont-Neuf date of 17th century. Today it is the oldest bridge in Toulouse. At night, it lights up and the view from the quays is truly magnificent. A romantic stroll awaits you!
• Many other monuments could be added to this list, such as the Hôtel d'Assézat, the keep of the Capitol, the Augustins museum, and many others...
  

To do this tour, several options are available to you:

• The Toulouse tourist office offers very nice and original themed guided tours
• Take a guided bike tour: the VélOtrement agency will take you through the city on classic or electric bikes.
• Always by bike, but free to visit, use the city's self-service rental service: the VélôToulouse (fr) and pedal as you wish. The route available on the Outdooractive website, with its 17 points of interest, is well designed.

Come and solve puzzles at Get Out Toulouse

Penetrate the soul of Toulouse through its authentic neighborhoods

To know a city, you have to meet its inhabitants. It is often in its neighborhoods that we discuss with our neighbors at the table, that we immerse ourselves in its culture and that we understand why they love their city. We take you for a walk in the Saint-Cyprien district, a Toulouse district, steeped in history (fr).

Neighborhood markets are places of life, exchange and meeting. You will taste the local gastronomy, you will admire the crafts and you will meet colorful characters! We take you on a tour of Toulouse's most beautiful markets.

A nature tour of Toulouse

Toulouse is crossed by the La Garonne river. Since the 17th century, a canal was built to improve river transport and runs along part of the river. This canal, classified as "UNESCO World Heritage", connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. As a whole, it is called the “Canal des Deux Mers”, but its different sections have different names. On one side, it is the lateral canal to the Garonne. On the other, it is the Canal du Midi. Toulouse is at the junction between the two. To explore the city from its banks, you can take the Voie Verte, which leaves from the city center at Portet (fr), or the Véloroute de la Garonne.

Gardens and parks are part of Toulouse's history. Through the historic gardens of the city center, the exotic green spaces which show its openness to the world, the parks on the banks of the Garonne or those which surround the city… All of them will reveal a facet of the city of Toulouse. The Toulouse Pyrenees Guide has taken a long walk for you in the parks and gardens of Toulouse, to reveal the green nature of the pink city to you!

Discover Toulouse's aeronautical past

From the First World War, Toulouse developed an aviation industry. In 1917, the adventure began with the Latécoère planes. In 1927, Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz made their first tests there. The Aéopostale is born there and a large company will be born there: the “National Company of Aeronautical Constructions of the Midi”. It will be renamed “Sud-Aviation”, before becoming “Airbus”! In the 1970s, the era of Aerospace arrived, with the Concorde project, A320, A380...

Several spaces retrace this glorious past:

• The flight of the pioneers explains the life of these exceptional men, who gave their lives to gain their wings... Period documents, models, reconstructions, lead you in their footsteps.
• At the Aeroscopia museum, you will relive the design of an A380, tests at the assembly site... and even participate in the first flight of the A380, in a replica room!

• At the Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse, an immersive visit awaits you. At the foot of the “Ariane” rocket or the “Sputnik” satellite, you will feel very small in front of these extraordinary machines. In the “Imax” cinema, the “Planetarium” and the “Stellarium”, you will enter the heart of the 'universe. And many other experiences will surely surprise you!

Immerse yourself in Toulouse culture in its museums

In the Hall of the Machine, François Delarozière knew how to combine the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and the imagination of Jules Verne. The Compagnie de la Machine began by creating a first 12-meter-high metal giant that roamed the streets of Toulouse, before settling in the Halle. Besides, the spirit has remained and the visit looks more like a street show than a museum. It is an atypical place, a kind of mechanical reverie that will charm young and old...

To travel, without leaving Toulouse, we suggest an Asian stroll at the Georges Labit Museum. There you will see a very varied collection of oriental works of art. Of all kinds, all countries and all eras, an exotic universe opens up to you.

The Musée des Abattoirs has something to amaze you, since it is in fact the museum of modern and contemporary art in Toulouse. These former slaughterhouses offer a unique setting and a beautiful space for a huge collection of works of art. Its exceptional proportions make it possible to accommodate extraordinary pieces!

There are many other places worth a visit in Toulouse, but we have chosen our favorite tourist spots. We hope that this selection will inspire you for your next Toulouse vacation.

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