Toulouse Attractions

Located on a hilltop above the Garonne River, this large natural park offers great panoramic views of the river and the city. There are a few recreational facilities (football and rugby fields and a swimming pool), but most of the grounds have been left wild. This is a terrific place for walking (a hiking trail crosses the length of the park) or cycling.

The Garonne River starts in the Pyrenees and flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux. It becomes larger and shallower around Toulouse, forming a natural bridge between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. The Romans settled here more than 2000 years ago and the river became a major commercial waterway, carrying wine, wheat, ceramics, and even gold from the Ariège département. During the Middle Ages many watermills were built along it. Neglected after the industrial revolution, it has now recovered some of its cultural importance and its banks have been renovated. Take one of the many pleasure boats to explore the river at a leisurely pace; there is canoeing or water-skiing for the more adventurous!

High above Toulouse, this vast necropolis is like a city within a city. Cypress and magnolia trees surround the richly decorated tombs, and the exceptional site has an amazing view of the city below. Some famous locals are buried here, including the Virebents, an important family of architects and sculptors. The second part of the cemetery, named Terre-Salonique, was originally reserved for military graves; there is a World War One memorial there, and a monument commemorating French colonial soldiers.

In the 16th century, the Chartreux friars, driven out of the city of Castres by the Protestants, purchased all the grounds north of this church to build a vast monastery (a few of the large cloister's arcades are still visible in the adjacent University Garden). The church nave is divided in two: the first half was for the congregation; only the Chartreux, who had their own separate entrance at the back, used the second. It is beautifully decorated with frescoes, bas-reliefs, series of paintings and a lavish marble altar. To the right of the choir, a tympanum depicting the Last Supper surmounts the door to the Crucifix chapel, which contains magnificent seventeenth-century woodwork.

Designed in 1555 for the rich pastel merchant, Pierre Assézat, this beautiful private mansion in Toulouse has been superbly restored. It now houses the personal collection of Georges Bemberg. While paintings have pride of place, there are also bronze sculptures and other objects on display. The collection, which dates mainly from the 17th century and the Renaissance, features European schools, including work by François Clouet, Cranach, Pieter de Hooch, Pourbus and du Tintoret. The French modern movement is also represented with pieces by Manet, Picasso, Dufy, Vlaminck, etc.

Until 1870, this building was used to pump 4,000 cubic metres of water to 60,000 inhabitants of Toulouse. In 1971, following a suggestion by photographer Jean Dieuzaide, it was turned it into a gallery for black and white photography. The excellent quality of its monthly exhibitions, held on two storeys of the building, prove what a good idea this was. Children enjoy it too, as they can see the gear wheels through the thick glass partitions that separate the mechanisms from the public. The gallery also gives new artists the chance to display their work.

Toulouse's abattoir, which closed in 1988, is now a museum. Paintings, sculptures, and photographs by more than 700 artists from all over the world are on permanent exhibition. Always original, sometimes shocking, the works captivate the public; particularly enchanting is Picasso's La Dépouille du Minotaure en costume d'Harlequin (1936). In addition to a media library and bookshop, the centre also has lectures, guided tours,multi-media workshops and a plastic arts room for children. The hours vary seasonally, for specific timings, call ahead or check the website.

This monastery, which dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, exhibits the town's largest selection of medieval sculptures (Romanesques and Gothic) and paintings. The collection contains works from the Italian, Flemish and Dutch schools including pieces by Rubens and Le Perugin and French artists from the 16th-20th centuries (Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, etc.). The monastery itself has a chapel with two beautiful cloisters as well as a unique collection of Romanesque capitals. The museum also organizes guided tours and lectures.

This nightclub on a boat is a popular destination for local club-goers. Le Cri de la Mouette hosts different DJs and concerts every weekend. Genres include rock, folk, funk and reggae. The various performances and cool location make this a hopping place on the weekends. You don't want to miss out on all the fun!

This magnificent monastery and its peaceful cloister have had a stormy history. In 1234 Pope Gregory IX made one of the Dominican friars Inquisitor, and in the same year, four other brothers lit the first fire of the Inquisition. Disgusted by their behaviour, the population threw the monks out of the city in 1235. But they were back a year later. There is plenty to look at in this extraordinary Gothic edifice. The floor is black marble, and the apse, called The Palm of Jacobins is quite famous. On the head of one of the columns, a bull's head symbolises the martyr, Saint Saturnin. Tours cost EUR10.

The tall, narrow front of this important church (probably the most interesting after Saint-Sernin) is in between two buildings on the Rue du Taur. Look up to see the beautiful three-storey wall of bells (an architectural feature unique to this region), its two towers connected by a balcony and its crenulated pediment. The church is built on the spot where Saint Saturnin was buried and his martyrdom is depicted in a large nineteenth-century mural above the altar. More interesting, however, are the remains of a fourteenth-century fresco showing Jacob's genealogy.

Jean-Pascal Virebent is an important figure in the history of Toulouse. Appointed city architect in 1782, he radically changed its layout. He opened up six new squares; Place de la Trinité is one of them. His nephew Urbain Vitry designed the stone and marble fountain as well as the Lamothe house opposite, which features statues of the gods Mercury and Pomona. Today, this pedestrianized triangular square is very popular for its terraced cafés. Note the two-storey glass building constructed at the turn of the century and decorated with splendid floral designs (on the corner of the Rue des Filatiers).

Built in 1846, the Observatory and its gardens seem to be lost in time; the pathways are barely visible and large trees partially obscure the view from the astronomic telescopes. Since 1973 only non-professionals and schoolchildren use the Observatory. For all stargazers, the Popular Astronomic Society holds evening sessions every Friday. Visit the domes and, weather permitting, pretend you're in a Jules Verne novel and look up at the stars. By day, visit the large park. The entrance, designed by nineteenth-century architect Urbain Vitry, opens onto winding paths with hundred-year-old oak trees and an odd circular pigeon-house.

During the German occupation of France, Toulouse was an important center for the French Resistance. In 1965, the city built a memorial to honor these fighters. To symbolize their secret activities, they decided on an underground monument: the site is completely hidden by a large grass mound. Raw concrete tunnels lead to three crypts; in semi-darkness, projected photographs of the war period and sound tracks describe a time of terror. In the crypt of the Shot Soldiers, a concrete tube cuts through the entire height of the building: every year, on August 19th, a ray of sunlight falls onto a plate on the ground engraved with the words: "August 19th 1945, Liberation of Toulouse."

The airy Chapelle Sainte-Anne, located at 15 rue Sainte-Anne is a 16th century chapel that features an attractive array of stained glass windows, however its real draw lies in its impressive catalog of classical concerts. It is home to The Passions, an annual series of of baroque concerts directed by Jean-Marc Andrieu featuring the works of Bach, Vivaldi,and Pergolesi, among others. Now in its 4th year, the series has garnered heavenly praise and features a stellar lineup of soloists.