First ‘’Letter From France’’
Welcome to the beginning of our “Letters From France”. This time is coming to you from the beautiful city of Toulouse, France’s ” Pink City”. This beautiful city is the capital of the Occitanie region and one of the most famous towns in France.
With back to back house-sits arranged in the south from mid-February to mid-March we had a few days to spare. Exploring the cosmopolitan melting pot of Toulouse looked like an excellent option for the responsible travellers. Toulouse offered history, architecture, food, and wine! All the things we love all together in one of the best cities to visit in France.
Why is Toulouse Called the Pink City
The fourth-largest and one of the most historic cities in France, Toulouse or “The Pink City” derive its name from the pink terracotta bricks used in the construction of many of its most prominent buildings. Iron oxide in the clay, excavated from the surrounding hills to make the bricks, creates the city’s pretty pink hue.
Toulouse also became one of the most famous cities in France as a stopover on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage way. Historical documents note the town as drawing the most significant number of pilgrims along the route. Today’s famous monuments — Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse and Couvent des Jacobins, among others, were resting places along the trails.
It is a privilege today as a traveller to enjoy the pleasure of exploring these beautifully preserved and maintained monuments to history. Wandering this city’s old historic streets, absorbing the atmosphere is, without a doubt, one of our most exceptional experiences thus far.
Where to Stay in Toulouse France’s Pink City
For one reason or another, we had three different accommodations during our short stay in Toulouse. We’ll not go into the details of why, but it was a very fruitful exercise as all were entirely different.
Each was within walking distance of the historic city centre, allowing us to be ‘the responsible traveller’ and explore Toulouse on foot. We’d highly recommend finding accommodation as close to the City centre and the rivers and canals as possible.
Sejours et Affaires Toulouse Brienne was apartment-style accommodation 15 minutes walk from the city centre and only two minutes to Canal du Brienne and the river Garonne. It was fairly basic but clean and very affordable, and the customer service was top notch. Free Wifi, a fridge and tea, and coffee were a bonus!
Within walking distance of Sejours et Affaires was the Hotel de Brienne, where we also spent a couple of nights. This hotel was on a whole different level. Located on the beautiful tree-lined Boulevard Maréchal Leclerc, the hotel offered bright, chic rooms with all the mod cons. The bed was amazingly comfortable, and we enjoyed free Wifi throughout the hotel.
There are plenty of cafes, bars, and restaurants within easy walking distance of Hotel de Brienne. A bonus is a Carrefour Contact almost right next door. The beautiful Basilique Saint-Sernin is about 15 minutes walk away and the Canal du Brienne virtually on the doorstep.
Nouvel Oasis 1 was a very different type of accommodation. The pictures on the booking.com website were very deceiving, and the reality was that the apartment was tiny, cramped and in need of a significant upgrade.
Things to do in Toulouse
Place du Capitole
Armed with our list of the things to do in Toulouse we set off on foot from our hotel, heading to the city centre. Mr Google told us it was around 30 minutes walk to Place du Capitole, and the central square affectionately referred to as the “beating heart” of Toulouse. It’s a meeting place for the community; a place for locals and tourists alike to gather and drink coffee or an apéritif, or to enjoy the splendour of this historic square.
Buildings of extraordinary and elegant architecture aline the square on all sides. The most impressive is the Capitole de Toulouse or city hall (Mairie), which houses the city’s administration, staterooms, and a theatre.
Entrance to Capitole de Toulouse is free, so explore this magnificent building. The reception rooms are decorated with the Allegories of Love by Paul Gervais. My absolute favourite part of this tour was the Salle des Illustres. This charming salon is lined with massive canvases painted by the renowned French impressionist painter Henri Martin. His paintings document the history of Toulouse. Also in this salon, an impressive collection of sculptures immortalise defining personalities of Toulouse.
Dome de la Grave
We managed to snap this most photographed building in Toulouse from the opposite side of the River Garonne. We feel this gives a much prettier aspect to this most famous building. The La Grave chapel which dates way back to the 17th century is part of the Le Grave hospital which dates from the 1100s. However, the spectacular dome wasn’t built until the mid-1800s.
The hospital building is documented in history for many purposes: a hospital for the contagious, a hospice, an orphanage, a prison and more recently a geriatric centre that closed in 2010.
Currently, La Grave Chapel is closed to the public for a complete renovation which will transform it into an exhibitions venue.
Victor Hugo Market
Markets are our favourite thing to do in the destinations we visit. We love the fact that as responsible travellers, we are buying from local producers and artisans. In this way, we support the local economy and community. The quality of goods way surpasses the supermarchés. And, of course, it’s just so much fun wandering and marvelling at the foods on offer. We were thrilled to discover Victor Hugo Market in Toulouse.
It is quite hard to find, as it’s not what you expect on the outside its quite an unattractive concrete structure right in the middle of the commercial area. However, venture inside, and it is phenomenal. The array of market stalls and a variety of delicious foods and wines is spectacular. Upstairs are several restaurants. However, we were just as happy picking up a wee sample of this and a sample to eat as we wandered.
There were some pretty “out-of-it” offerings of traditional French cuisine, not the least of which was the cuisse de canard. This French delicacy is essentially duck smothered in duck fat all ready to be popped in the oven.
The Victor Hugo Market is also where the local Toulousians do their weekly shopping. All the traditional French offerings are available.
The Roof of Gallery Lafayette
After a day of wandering this most famous French city make your way up to the rooftop bar at the Gallérie Lafayette. This vantage point offers the most magnificent 360-degree views of Toulouse La Ville Rose. A great place to watch the sunset with a glass of bubbles if you can get the timing right. The twilight hours here are fantastic but make it hard to capture a sunset after hours of sightseeing!!
Couvent des Jacobins
Monasteries and convents abound in France, but this one which is a deconsecrated Catholic Church, just blew us away. The interior of this most splendid example of southern French Gothic architecture is massive. They have used some smart ways to refract natural light through the ornate Église des Jacobins stained-glass windows.
St Thomas Aquinas, was an Italian Dominican theologian, one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. He is buried beneath the church altar and a statue of him graces a nave dedicated to his memory.
Entrance to the church is free, but don’t miss The Cloisters (Cloître des Jacobins). Admission to this unforgettable experience is €4–5 depending on the season. It’s well worth a wander. Make sure to observe the immense ribbed vault which supports the massive ceiling beams which are affectionately named the “palm tree”.
Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse
It was the octagonal bell tower of the Basilique Saint-Sernin which towers high above the city that drew us to this UNESCO world heritage site. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries in honour of the first bishop of Toulouse, this example of Romanesque architecture is just so dramatic and well worth a visit.
Due to roadworks, we were unable to explore inside sadly, but we were able to wander around the exterior and admire the graceful apse, studded with chapels right up to the bell tower.
The Rivers and Canals of Toulouse La Ville Rose
We love river cities, and France does this so well. Many major cities, small towns and tiny villages boast beautiful rivers and bridges as their main attractions.
This gorgeous city boasts not only the Garonne but also the Canal du Midi and the Canal de Brienne.
Toulouse straddles the river Garonne, connecting to the Canal du Midi which then links to the Mediterranean Sea. You can travel 250kms along the canal by boat, bike or on foot.
The smaller Canal de Brienne, right in the centre of the city, connects the Garonne and the Canal du Midi. A lovely walk, especially in late winter early spring when the sun is shining, but it’s still cool. Along the water’s edge, you’re walking under a canopy of trees. It’s just so quiet and serene and the canal boats along the way so pretty!
Take some time also to photograph and admire the ponts (bridges) along the river and the canals. The most famous is the Pont Neuf. Many of Toulouse’s bridges are among the most notable in the world and hold long and fascinating histories.
Eating and Drinking Around Toulouse Pink City
Food is also a big part of our travels. We do try to eat in restaurants and cafes not listed on popular travel sites. Eating locally supports the communities in which we travel. Wandering into random cafes is way more fun than queuing to get a table at the most famous cafe in the city.
However, we did break this rule here in Toulouse by seeking out Cafe de la Concorde, the oldest cafe in Toulouse.
Arriving around 11 am we planned a coffee and a few pics of the great original interior of eclectic decorations. However, the place was pumping. So, joining the lunchtime crowd to eat French food and drink French wine seemed like a splendid idea.
Restaurant timings are a little wacky in France. Most open around 10.00am and close around 2 pm, reopening early evening until late. However, timings are not consistent, so it pays to check first. Standard dinner time in France is at 8 pm.
Hence, we shared a marvellous wee set menu at only €10.50, accompanied by a cheeky and delightful little French red.
Drinking red wine at that time of the morning is just so French!!
When we travel, we’re up and out and walking from dawn until dusk. Along the way, we regularly stop for small bites and small glasses. We partake of as many traditional offerings of our host destination as is possible.
During our self-guided walking tour of Toulouse, Pink City, we sampled most of the delights of this region. The choices of local cuisine are just endless, so we’ll not make specific recommendations. We will, however, recommend just stopping regularly to partake of a little sustenance at street-side cafes and restaurants.
We ate a good selection of quintessential French cuisine; croissants and coffee, delectable sweet offerings from the myriad patisseries and even poke bowls in Place du Wilson.
The charcuterie with wine, Frites with wine, foie gras du canard, chocolates and tiny wee biscuits from Peches Gourmand and enough French pain and cheese to sink a battleship.
Thé saucisse du Toulouse or sausage of Toulouse is famous in this region and worth seeking out. It’s available from many “hole in the wall” type cafes.
Toulouse La Ville Rose — One of Top 10 Cities in France
Toulouse has so much to offer the traveller; an illustrious reputation as one of the top 10 cities in France and its evident commitment to the preservation of its history.
Toulouse “Pink City” has a vibrant and lively cosmopolitan vibe. This vibe is due to its energetic student population plus its reputation as a leader in historical architecture and contemporary art.
All of this, coupled with its pretty aesthetic and delicious food scene, makes Toulouse an attractive option in France as an alternative to Paris.
From Toulouse, we headed to a small village in south-east France where we spent a month exploring traditional France ‘’ La France Provonde’’ and formulating our second ‘’Letter from France’!
