Tourist Attractions in Toulouse on the Garonne

Art Museums, City Sights, Airbus & Cite de l'Espace in Midi Pyrenees

Sep 29, 2009

Toulouse, the pink city, claims a stunning architecture, a vibrant cultural scene loved by its students and a thriving aerospace industry which welcomes visitors.

Set on the river Garonne, at the crossroad of ancient routes between the Atlantic, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, Toulouse is a lively metropolis, proud of its heritage and forward looking. From churches to art museums, from its elegant mansions and Capitole building to Airbus or the Cité de l’Espace, Toulouse offers unique tourist attractions at the heart of Midi Pyrénées.

The city pass available from the tourist office is packed with special offers for museums and sights, restaurants and hotels.

Toulouse Art Museums, Fine Arts, Photography, Modern and Contemporary Art

Fifteen museums are housed in some of the finest buildings in Toulouse. In a 14th century monastery, Les Augustins is devoted to fine arts from the early Christian era to the 20th century. Pride of place goes to Romanesque sculptures, Gothic and other works by local artists and Italian and French masters, including Delacroix, Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec.

On the left bank of the Garonne, the old slaughter house, Les Abattoirs, has been converted into a 6000m² exhibition space for modern and contemporary art, displaying among some 2000 works a theatre curtain by Picasso.

The 19th century Water Tower is now one of the most visited photographic art galleries in Europe while other venues are dedicated to applied and graphic arts. The Bemberg Foundation has Venetian sculptures and paintings from the Renaissance and modern French school.

Located on the spacious central square, the Capitole is the city’s most stunning building, encompassing the townhall and theatre. The 130 metre long façade sports eight pink marble columns while painted ceilings and gilt mouldings grace the sumptuous ceremonial rooms. All around, the Old Town is full of architectural gems from mansions to old colleges or convents.

The cathedral took 500 years to complete but the most famous church is St Sernin’s Romanesque basilica, a compulsory halt on the way to Compostela. They say it’s the largest of its kind in the western world and beyond the pink brick exterior, it boasts a magnificent nave and relics in the crypt.

Toulouse on the Garonne, Airbus and Cité de l’Espace

Toulouse has been at the top of the French aeronautic industry ever since the first airmail service was launched in the early 1900s. Today, guided tours around the site offer a fascinating insight into the world of aviation, from Concorde to Airbus, including the giant A380. Tours should be booked in advance, either online or by phone.

The Cité de l’Espace, or Space City, is the ultimate attraction in Toulouse and needs a full day to do it justice. There are full-sized models of spacecraft, including the Russian Mir space station, a French rocket, standing 53 metres high, numerous hand-on exhibits and especially designed children areas. There are two auditoriums, the 3D Imax with a giant screen and the 360º Planetarium.

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