How to spend two days filled with art, culture, and exceptional cuisine in the always vibrant Toulouse, France.
Toulouse , the " pinkish city , " built of pink wine - hued brick , the ticker of today ’s Occitanie , was once domicile to ancient Romans and later to heretics , crusaders , counts , and merchants . The University of Toulouse is part responsible for the urban center ’s young and vibrant feeling , yet the city is rich with account . It sits on the path to the Pyrenees and Spain , and has seen its part of refugee over the 100 , many of whom flee persecution from the Inquisition and Franco ’s Spain , and they ’ve left their mark on the metropolis ’s cosmopolitan part and civilisation .
There ’s more than enough to do and to see , to eat and to drink , but it ’s also worth just taking clock time and sitting in a café on the Place du Capitole or along the bank of the Canal du Midi , watch the light variety and the people go by .
Travel time
7 hour non - stop from Montreal via Air Canada4 minute from Paris via TGV geartrain
If you only do one thing:Visit the Halle de la Machine
Experience the machine domain of La Halle de la Machine , a live dramaturgy of man - made mechanisms bring to life daily by actors / pathfinder and by you . A elephantine spider stalks the vast , hanger - comparable mansion , her mind turning and her legs moving rhythmically with each purposeful step , misrepresent by secret human drivers . loom machines made of reuse bicycle , xylophone , and antiquated tractor function shoot fire skywards or shower you with snowflakes at the twist of a lever or the push of a release . A troupe ofveritable Mécaniques , doer garbed in bright orange mechanic ’s suits , appear from the sidelines to on the spur of the moment climb a metal ravel to hand a roulette wheel of spinning guitars , or debar washboards and kitchen spoons to play a fantastic musical harmony . Next they might appear by your side , line you up to mount the back of the mammoth , fifty - foot foot tall Minotaurfor a amble along the historic runway in front of the hall . PetiteMécaniquePatricia Peguin , her orange hair blow out above a black headspring dance orchestra , react to a visitor ’s head .
“ Why did you require to mould here if you are an actor ? " She laughs . “ So I could driveLe Minotaure . ” She throws her limb toward the towering wight next to her . “ But not today ! ” she read , adjust off across the hall to show a group of people how to put away a overweight , nineteenth century apparel ’ iron along rail to light up the propane jets on a bell - topped building of strangely welded bit and pieces of metallic element .
The wild Creation at La Halle , which go to the Companie La Machine and Francois Delaroziere , its creator , are stored here when they are not called upon to do in the streets and urban center of the world , including Toulouse .
Photo via Minotaur at La Halle
Fill the weekend with:
A walk around the old city
The erstwhile city has everything . The centrally located Place du Capitole , considered one of the most beautiful square in France , if not in Europe , is framed by graceful 18th and 19th century building dominated by the 12th century tower of its Ithiel Town hall . lead off from the second power are narrow street that , depending on the direction you choose , will take you to the Basilique Saint Servian , a Romanesque church where construction started in 1080 , or to the Fondation Berget , Toulouse ’s most famous fine art museum , originally a secret collection , with an impressive array of impressionistic painting and Old Masters housed in a 16th 100 palace . The small street are delineate with dress shop , and each turn will lead to a young discovery . Be sure to find your way to the bound of the Old City , rebound by the Garonne River on one side and the Canal du Midi , both pedestrian friendly for saunter .
A visit to the Victor Hugo market
For food discovery , a must go , first break , is the historic , centrally locatedVictor Hugo marketplace , where whole Jamon Iberica ’s hang from the rafters , brightly light patisserie windows gleam next to stall heaped with cheeses , and you may find almost everything comestible conceivable . you could sign up for aTaste of Toulousewith Jessica Hammer , who will introduce you to her favourite vendors and , at the conclusion , regale you with a banquet of bread , charcuterie , Malva sylvestris , pastries , and fruit , all purchased during the hitch . She spreads it out for you on barrel tops at the Chai Vincent wine bar , copulate the food with a selection of unlike wine . Or , find free to wander , shop class and drink on your own . marketer are friendly , and it ’s a visual as well as a virtual fete . On the first floor , above the market is an raiment of brasserie , democratic with local , if you want to savor the flavors of the market , but have someone falsify them for you .
A picnic on the Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi start out in Toulouse , where its unripened banks are sprinkle with geranium potted , lace - curtained barges moored here and there . Trees spread along the epithelial duct ’s bound , cater wraith for picnicker and strollers . Now a UNESCO World Heritage site , the channel was built in the seventeenth century , connecting Toulouse to Sete , on the Mediterranean , X kilometers aside . Pick up some meats and Malva sylvestris , a feeding bottle of wine-colored or cyder at the Victor Hugo market ( it conclude at noon ) and unite the picnickers along the bank . Take note : Should you hark back to Toulouse on a prospicient trip , and you ’d like to be the captain of your own boat on the canal , Le Boat , place at the pier Castelnaudary , will rent you a craft , no permit needed .
Trying your hand at the ancient art of dying with woad
Woad is a blue dye made from the pastel plant , and the manufacturing and selling of it made the merchandiser of Toulouse rich in the 18th century . An almost - lost prowess , woad production has been impart back to life by master craftsman , Annette Hardouin , who is carrying on the traditional techniques . At her workshop , AHPY , you may book a social class and do some dying yourself , as well as browse the woad - dyed garment and accessory .
Going to a rugby match
The Toulouse golf-club , nicknamed Les Rouge et Noir , is count one of the best clubs in Europe , and the masses of Toulouse are immense fans . The Stadium de Toulouse is promptly approachable by tram , bus topology , or subway . Tickets can be purchased from on - occupation sellers like Ticketmaster or at the bowl .
A day trip to Carcassonne
A little over an hour by gear or cable car , looms the walled city of Carcassonne , a thirteenth 100 medieval fortress built on what was once the border of France and Spain . From its ramparts the protector could see as far as the Pyrenees and to any disclose enemy coming across the plains below . The walls and the city were wholly restored between 1853 and 1879 by the French architect Eugène Viollet - le - Duc . At first glance it feels a stack like Disneyland without Mickey and the princess . The main street is line with the common souvenir shop class deal swords and shield , postal card , candy , and handicrafts , but venture into the narrow side streets or onto the wall and it ’s like you ’ve taken a step back in sentence .
It ’s easy to imagine knight turn on each other on the jousting grounds , with the crew cheering them on . Or to envisage the street bustle not with tourists , but with trafficker sell everything from live volaille to vats of wine and sheepskin .
For a particular lunch , headspring toLa Barbacane , a Michelin - starred restaurant in the heart of the medieval city . All rock , polished glowering wood , diamond - paned windows , and soft light , it finger like a hunky-dory eating house in a gothic city should feel . The solid food , though , is distinctly contemporaneous , locally source , the wine list is across-the-board , and the luncheon damage reasonable for a luxury experience .
For a different experience , still within the mediaeval walls , sit down at a carmine and white checked cloth cover board at one of the outside cafes , order a glass of beer or wine , a salad or maybe steak frites , and finalise in .
Where to eat in Toulouse
You ’re in the ripe place for eating and drinking , pretty much anywhere you turn . The metropolis is famous for its food for thought , notably foie gras , all things duck , and the eponymous sweetheart of slow - cooked bean , duck’s egg , and Toulouse sausage , call in Cassoulet , said to have originated in Toulouse . afters are dreamy and you’re able to never have too much tall mallow and jambon . The proximity of Spain provides an Iberian flair to the offering .
For Cassoulet , head toEmile’sin the philia of the Old City . plant in the forties Emile ’s calls itself the base of cassoulet In classic fashion , it occur in an case-by-case terracotta corporation , acassole , heaping with savoury bean , and the essential meaty bits . The cassoulet introduction atLa Gourmandine , a sleek , advanced restaurant , is similar , but the menu also boasts creative present-day dishes like grilled globe artichoke salad , house smoked trout from the Pyrenees , and godforsaken pod with black rice and chorizo , plus originative vegetarian options .
A small restaurant handily locate just steps aside from the Novotel on the crescent of Place Thomas Wilson , Le Bon Vivrehas been appeal fans to the kinfolk -owned and operate restaurant for decades . Grilled Sausage , homemade seasonal soup , charcuterie and cheese , and a dessert menu as long as the entrée and main stunner menu . It gets crowded quickly , so get there early or reserve .
Photo via Getty Images
For a not- to- be- found- anywhere- else dejeuner experience , book a office at the Halle de la MachineLe Diner des Petites Mécaniques . It ’s lunch for twenty - four people , seated at retentive table draped in ashen , rope off the make a private space in the monolithic hall . There , surround by the exotica of throwing mechanisms and wandering machine - wight , you ’ll relish a 5 - line meal with wine and coffee , assist by theVeritable Mécaniques , but also by quirky machines that fork out wine and platters of food — which , by the mode , is quite good . Reserve well in advance . Saturdays and Sundays only . This is a popular place .
Where to drink
Café animation in Toulouse is animated by the high student universe , and pubs and cafes are everywhere . Especially popular is the Place du Capitole , the large metropolis hall square circumvent by eating place and coffeehouse with outdoor terraces . For a preference of local production , adjudicate wine from the Fronton Appellation , from Gascony or ask for an Armagnac . To be really local , ask for a Floc , or Floc de Gascogne , which is a sweet aperitif vino , made with young Armagnac and smart grape juice using a formula dating from the sixteenth century .
The Melting Pot Pub : A centrally located drinks and eat hangout for rugby football and other sports fans .
Le Quinquina Bar : One of the old imbibing establishments in Toulouse , it ’s a popular gay bar , centrally located , with heavily patinaed mural that are famous in the art man . It serves its namesake aperitif from wooden barrels , but also serves cocktails , vino , beer , and nutrient . Dark and very atmospheric , with periodic live euphony .
Halle des Machines photo via Getty Images
Papilles Cocktails : Papilles sells the bottled cocktail origination ( and glasses ) developed by Master Barman of France , Alexis Taoufiq . Friendly and fun , it draw a full crew . Try the rummy - based Jungle Bird or Peche au Dragon , made with Gallic gin , to start .
Where to stay
Toulouse has a large turn of hotels of all prices and eccentric . The accommodations listed below are all centrally located and convenient to metros and buses .
Hotel de Beaux Arts : This hotel is on the privileged edge of the Old Town , look out over the Garonne River and the Pont Neuf . The rooms are dramatically decorated with forward-looking art wall painting and tableaux , and the favorable neighborhood is full of shop , coffeehouse , and restaurants .
Ours Blanc Hotels : This small group of three hotels , all near the Victor Hugo market , includeHotel Ours Blanc Wilson , with a resort hotel and rooftop saloon , Hotel Ours Blanc Centre , a corner building with great embayment windows , and a modestOurs Blanc Victor Hugojust opposite the Victor Hugo market .
Toulouse cafe courtesy Georgeanne Brennan
Novotel Toulouse Centre Wilson : Its decorative brick façade drop the Place Wilson , belie the hotel ’s advanced DoI , replete with a brasserie and bar . From here , it is just a few steps into the narrow streets of the Old City .
Night view of the Place du Capitole and Hôtel de Ville de Toulouse via Getty Images
