What to See and Do in Toulouse

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for this trip myself. All recommendations and opinions are my own.

We landed in Toulouse on a warm September evening. This was the first stop on our two week holiday in France exploring Toulouse, Carcassonne, Arcachon, Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, and Bergerac. We jumped on the airport shuttle bus and asked for “2 billets simples s’il vous plaît” (2 single tickets please) in our limited and difficult to understand French, and headed down town in search of our accommodation. As we planned to stay in Toulouse for several days, we had booked to stay at an apartment, as we had hopes of shopping at the local food markets and preparing our own French feasts. As it was late, we headed straight off to sleep with the aim of getting up early to explore the following day.

Toulouse is in the Occitanie region and is referred to as ‘La Ville Rose’ or The Pink City, for its many pink-hued brick buildings. It isn’t a particularly large city and doesn’t have as many tourist sites as some of other France’s cities, but it does have a lovely historic city centre – Capitole de Toulouse – with some beautiful Gothic architecture. Toulouse is also home to the Airbus Factory and if you love planes, you might enjoy going on their factory tour. Its about a 30 minute tram ride from the city. We didn’t visit, so I haven’t included it in my article, but you can learn more about it here.

You can squeeze a visit to Toulouse into one day, but we had a couple of days in Toulouse so took it slow. The old town area is flat and if you are reasonably fit, then I recommend you do what we did and grab a city map from the Tourist Information Centre (Donjon du Capitole Square Charles de Gaulle, 31080 Toulouse) or from your accommodation provider, that points out all the highlights and head out on foot. However, if you have limited mobility, then you can take the little tourist trains that drive you around the main city sites and provides an audio guided tour. They collect from the large square, Place du Capitole, near the Tourist Information Centre.

It was a lovely hot summers day, so with a large bottle of water and our tourist map in hand, we headed off to see the historic sites of Toulouse. Here are the highlights…

Place du Capitole

Place du Capitole is the historic heart of the city. This large square is surrounded by beautiful historic buildings and is a great place to stop for a drink at one of the many cafes and do some people watching.

Capitolium de Toulouse and its Théâtre du Capitole

(Closed on Saturdays)

The grand feature of Place du Capitole is Capitolium de Toulouse. It is now home to the town hall, a theatre, and state rooms. It was built in 1750 and features a beautiful Neo-Classical façade with the beautiful pink Toulouse brick. It has 8 columns which represent the former governing magistrates. It is free to visit, so we headed inside and found ourselves in a very large building with grand, high ceiling rooms featuring busts of historically important people of Toulouse, and magnificent paintings. There are a series of paintings that tell the history of Toulouse, but I really loved the romantic Allegories of Love by the famous Toulouse painter Paul Gervais and the giant canvases by neo-classical artist Henri Martin. This place is now hired out for events and weddings.

On the other side of this building is a small park and garden, Charles de Gaulle Square, which also features a lovely water fountain La Fontaine du Square Charles de Gaulle. This is also where the Tourist Information Office is located.

Notre-Dame du Taur and Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse

Near the square is Notre-Dame du Taur, one of the oldest parishes in Toulouse. The Taur refers to a bull that was to be sacrificed. However, the Roman authorities ended up attaching the Bishop Saturnin to the bull and it dragged him from the Capitoline Temple to the north of city beyond the walls to the site now known as the Place du Capitole. The church was built on the place where Saturnin was first buried.

Just up the road from the parish is the Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse, a Medieval basilica with relics of 128 saints. It is also free to enter but the interior is quite plain, it is the exterior that is the star of the show. In the crypt is a thorn said to have come from the Crown of Thorns.

Couvent des Jacobins

Unfortunately, when we visited Couvent des Jacobins it had some major works happening around it so the view of it was impaired by rather ugly building materials. However, we still got to enjoy the beautiful interior. This church was built in 1341 and is famous for its interior and for having the remains of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic philosopher.

The church is free to enter, but you need to pay to enter the Convent which includes access to the Cloister, the Chapter House, Chapel Saint-Antonin, the Refectory, and exhibitions.

Views from Pont St-Pierre

From Couvent des Jacobins we headed over to cross the Pont St-Pierre bridge over the river La Garonne which runs through the city. We enjoyed beautiful views of the city and the dome of Chapelle Saint-Joseph de la Grave.

Belvedere

Running alongside the La Garonne river is a wall that you can walk along that provides you great views of the river and surrounding city. Apparently this is actually a flood wall as the city has had a problem with flooding. There is also a small park that has a Ferris wheel and some nice seating by the river.

Le Château d’Eau

We headed back cross the bridge Pont Neuf, but before crossing is the Le Château d’Eau, a 19th century water tower which houses photography exhibitions (small entry fee applies).

Cathedral Saint-Etienne

After a refreshing lunch break (see more about it in my food section below) we headed on to visit the grand Cathedral Saint-Etienne, which is a bit of a hodgepodge of styles. The Medieval cathedral is made of two incomplete churches in distinct Roman & Gothic architectural styles. It is free to enter.

Side note: Just down the road from the cathedral is a really quaint on building on the corner of Rue des Arts and Rue Croix Brargnon.

Monument aux Morts

Beside the Cathedral Saint-Etienne is a monument to the massive losses of the Great War and to honour those who lost their lives.

Local Markets

By the monument is a park path which leads you down towards the Grand Rond, a historic park. Along this wide park strip between two busy roads, they hold their local flea markets. Although I often don’t buy anything, I did enjoy having a good look around here. You never know what you might find.

Grand Rond, Jardin des Plantes and Jardin Royal

The gardens are free to enter

Our walk through the markets took us to the Grand Rond, a historic park that features a fountain, gazebo, sculptures and beautiful flower beds. There are two other gardens that lead of this one including the Jardin Royal and the larger Jardin des Plantes which is next to the Toulouse Natural History Museum. This park is popular and as it was a Sunday, lots of families were out enjoying a picnic. There is also a kids playground here and they had some cute ponies giving pony rides. We were quite tired by the time we got here, so found a cool, quiet spot under a tree and took a nap.

Day Trip From Toulouse

If you are visiting Toulouse for several days like we were, then consider including a day trip to Carcassonne to see the fairy tale style Medieval Citadel and Castle. It is only a short 45 minute direct train ride from Toulouse.

Food in Toulouse

It’s France, so of course the food was amazing. Some local dishes to try whilst you are here include the Toulouse sausage. Of course everyone has their own version, but the main ingredients are pork, red wine, and garlic. Unlike in the UK where the sausages are made into individual portions, the sausages here are just a long coil and they cut however much you want off. Toulouse is also home to the famous cassoulet which is a slow cooked casserole with meat (usually chicken, duck and pork sausages) and white beans. They also sell these at the food markets in glass jars of various sizes that you can take home and heat up.

Violet is also a local delicacy – and by violets, yes I mean the flower. It is the city’s emblem and is said to have been introduced to France by Napoléon III in the middle of the 19th century. They were very nearly lost following a very harsh winter in 1956. However, in 1985 the violet became officially protected thanks to a horticulturists’ association. What makes the flower special is its perfume. Traditionally, the flowers are coated in sugar and crystallised. You will find it being sold in tourist stores in a variety of forms including a liqueur, which is added to champagne, as a syrup or honey, flavoured sweets, perfumes and soaps. We tried the sweets and personally we didn’t love the taste. They have a perfumed, musky taste. But do try them yourself, they sell [amazon_textlink asin=’B001FPT1WM’ text=’violet candies on Amazon’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2e01d067-e40c-4bc5-8096-e1c90f58f6fe’].

Marché Victor Hugo

Place Victor Hugo, 31000 Toulouse, France

We were lucky enough to be staying near the covered Victor Hugo markets, so we visited most days during our stay. It’s cheaper than eating out, however the prices are higher than shopping at the supermarket. As noted above, food to look out for are the Toulouse sausage, jars of cassoulet, cheese (OMG we were in our element), bread (lovely bakeries), and the beautifully fresh vegetables. The tomatoes were huge and absolutely delicious. Try the ones shaped like big tear drops that are a mix of green and red, as well as the dark green ones. Make sure they are soft, as this is when they are at their sweetest and juiciest. They grow varieties in France that they don’t export because they don’t travel well as once ripened, they don’t last long. Some meals we enjoyed were Toulouse sausage in a baguette with onions and goats cheese; juicy slices of tomato layered with slices of buffalo mozzarella; they also sell delicious lasagnes that you just warm up in the oven, we had a lovely creamy mushroom one. Grab a bottle of wine to wash it down.

Maison Pillon

2 Rue d’Austerlitz, 31000 Toulouse

Just beside the market is the fabulous Maison Pillon patisserie. We were mesmerised by their beautiful display of sweets delicacies and had a very difficult time choosing which one to try… so of course we came here several times during our stay. Their canelé, which is a specialty of the Bordeaux region, are excellent. They are made of rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelized crust. As we made our way into the Bordeaux region we ended up eating a lot of these, but these were some of the best we tasted.

La Santine

1 rue Jean Suau | place de la Daurade , bord de Garonne, 31000, Toulouse

We enjoyed a lunch at La Santine. It was a very hot day, so I was after something light and fresh and had a lovely simple salmon salad. Hubby had steak tartare with salad and fries. I’m not sure what wine we had but it was a lovely light white which was perfect in the heat.

L’Entrecote

15 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 31000 Toulouse

L’Entrecote is actually a chain steak restaurant which was made famous by the popular British celebrity chef and travel show host Rick Stein (if you are interested, we went to his restaurant whilst we were in Padstow, Cornwall which you can read about here). Entrecote is the French word for a beef steak that is cut from between the ribs. It’s actually a thin ribeye. This place is not for vegetarians or vegans as the menu only has one option – walnut salad followed by steak and all you can eat frittes (skinny French fries) for €19. The wine menu is equally simple, choose from their own labelled red, white, or rosé wine. There is also one expensive bottle of wine on the menu. The only thing your waiter will ask you is how you like your steak cooked, so see my notes below to help you order.

Once the salad plate is whisked away, they bring out your steak on a steal platter and slice it up. It is slathered in their signature garlic butter sauce that is delicious. Then they give you all you can eat fries. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for more – I think they expect it. We enjoyed our meal with a bottle of their cheap red wine and it was very pleasant. There is also a dessert menu that has quite a lot of options on it, we shared the profiteroles filled with ice cream. They were nice, but not the best profiteroles I’ve ever eaten.

How to order steak in France

Please note that the French cook their steak rarer than what British or Americans are used to, so take this into account when ordering. We both love our meat to be bloody so went for the saignant and à point.

• Bleu – Only cooded for one minute on each side – so very rare.
• Saignant: Rare
• À point: Medium-rare
• Bien cuit: Well cooked but will likely still have some pinkness in the middle.
• Très bien cuit: Basically you are asking for it to be very well cooked, so it should there shouldn’t be any pink.

Accommodation Options in Toulouse

Search available accommodation in Toulouse

Budget

• Ibis Styles Toulouse Capitole
• Typical Toulouse Capitole Studio
• L’authentique – Coeur de ville

Moderate

• At Home Appart Hotel
• Néméa Appart’Hôtel Résidence Concorde
• Mama Shelter Toulouse

Luxury

• La Maison d’Henri
• Le Grand Balcon Hotel
• Hôtel des Beaux Arts (for art lovers)

Practical Tips for Visiting Toulouse

• How long should I visit Toulouse for? You an easily see the sights of Toulouse in a day. However, if you also want to visit Carcassonne’s Medieval Citadel on a day trip as we did, then stay for a couple of days.
• Getting to and from Toulouse airport into Toulouse city centre: Depending on where you are staying, you can take either the T2 Airport tram or the Airport Shuttle Bus. They are near each other on the ground floor gate C2, at arrival levels. The bus runs every 20 minutes from about 5am until midnight (check the timetable for their daily schedule) and the ticket rates are also valid throughout the entire bus-underground network. Both the tram and buses are modern, cheap and comfortable with air conditioning. You can of course get a taxi if you prefer.
• Getting around Toulouse:
  • Metro, trams & buses: Toulouse has two metro lines, trams and buses. When you purchase a ticket from the machine, it can be used on any day, just make sure when you go to use it that you validate your ticket by putting it into the yellow ticket machines on board. Refer to the Toulouse public transport website for more details about fares and timetables.
    • Please note: There is NO public transport on the 1st of May each year which is their Labour day.
  • Bikes: Toulouse is a large city, so it would be faster and easier to cover more ground by making use of the city bike hire.
• Shopping in Toulouse: The shops are closed on Sundays, so don’t plan to do any shopping on a Sunday. In France many bakeries, restaurants and cafes are also shut on Sundays and Mondays. But don’t panic, you can still find restaurants and bakeries that are open, particularly in the tourist areas. Just make sure you check the opening times before heading out to avoid disappointment.
• Eating and drinking out in France: Due to the different licensing in France, some café’s and restaurants are only licensed to sell alcohol with food, so in order to drink you must also order food. Bars have a different license that allows them to sell drinks without food. From my experience, establishments do try to make this clear to tourists, but it does end up causing confusion for some.
• Language: French. Although a lot of English speaking tourists visit Toulouse, we found quite a lot of people did not speak English, so do try to have your French translation app at hand. Here are a few French words to get you started:
  • Yes = oui (wee)
  • No = non (no)
  • Please = sil vous plait (seal voo play)
  • Thank you = merci (mare-see)
  • Hello = bonjour (boh(n)-zhoor)
  • Good evening = bonsoir (boh(n) swarh)
• Currency: Euro
• Tipping: The service charge is included in the bill, so there is no need to tip.
• Electricity: The electrical current is 220-240 volts, 50-60 Hz. Wall outlets take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in France as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
• Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then pick one up for free at the Toulouse Tourist Information Centre (Donjon du Capitole Square Charles de Gaulle, 31080 Toulouse). Your accommodation should also provide you with one.