| Toulouse is one of the most stylish cities of Southern | | | | city does have a metro. In addition to the general |
| France. Situated between the Mediterranean (150 km | | | | pleasure of wandering the streets, there are three |
| away) and the Atlantic (250 km), and just 110 km from | | | | very good museums and some real architectural |
| the ski resorts of the Pyrenees and 730 km from | | | | treasures in the churches of St-Sernin and Les |
| Paris, Toulouse is the chief city of the huge | | | | Jacobins and in the magnificent Renaissance town |
| Midi-Pyrenees Region and the fourth largest city in | | | | houses - hotels particuliers - of the merchants who |
| France. With the second largest student population | | | | grew rich on the woad-dye trade. |
| outside of Paris, Toulouse is among the leading great | | | | The main shopping streets are rue La Fayette and rue |
| metropolises of Southern Europe. Dubbed the 'Ville | | | | d'Alsace-Lorraine. Luxury goods are to be found in one |
| Rose' because of its pink brick buildings, Toulouse sits | | | | of the prettiest streets in Old Toulouse, rue |
| astride the Garonne River and the historic Canal du | | | | Croix-Baragnon, while the boutiques on rue |
| Midi, midway between the Med and the Atlantic. The | | | | Saint-Rome offer more accessibly priced clothes. |
| heart of town is the vast, arcaded Place du Capitole, | | | | Place du Capitole is the centre of gravity for the city's |
| where the impressive, grandiose Capitole building is the | | | | social life. Its smart cafes throng with people at |
| seat of local government. | | | | lunchtime and in the early evening when the dying sun |
| Regular scheduled domestic and international flights | | | | flushes the pink facade of the big town hall opposite. |
| arrive at Blagnac airport, about 20 minutes from the | | | | This is the scene of a mammoth Wednesday market |
| city, or drive from Paris by taking the A10 to Orleans | | | | for food, clothes and junk and of a smaller organic |
| and the A20 to Toulouse. A very quick and | | | | food market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. |
| comfortable means of arrival is by train (six hours from | | | | From Place du Capitole, a labyrinth of narrow medieval |
| Paris) as the train station is almost in the heart of the | | | | streets radiates out to the town's several other |
| city. | | | | squares, such as Place Wilson, the more intimate Place |
| Old Toulouse is effectively quartered by two | | | | St-Georges, the delightful triangular Place de la Trinite |
| nineteenth-century streets, the long shopping street, rue | | | | and Place St-etienne in front of the cathedral. |
| d'Alsace-Lorraine/rue du Languedoc, which runs | | | | For those so inclined, while in Toulouse take a trip to |
| north-south; and rue de Metz, which runs east-west | | | | the worlds largest Marian shrine at Lourdes, just one |
| onto the Pont-Neuf and across the Garonne. It's all | | | | hour away on the A64, or visit the historic fortified city |
| very compact and can easily be walked, although the | | | | of Carcassonne, two hours away on the A 61. |