I lived two years in Toulouse: a student city located in the south west of France. It is one of the many cities I have lived that I keep in my heart. So here is my list of my favorite things to do in the Pink city. We call it the Pink City because of the buildings made with bricks that at sunset get pink.
1. La Garonne: If you want to go for a nice walk along the main river called “La Garonne” I will advice to start from Place Saint Pierre and walk until the bridge called Pont Neuf. Then you could go to the other side of the river and relax at Le jardin des Filtres one’s of the biggest park in Toulouse. You will find many people playing guitar, dancing salsa on the Sundays or simply catching up with friends. In the summer it is also the place for festivals and film projections. Then during the week end, the place Saint Pierre is very alive at night with different kind of bar from La couleur de la culotte where you can hear the last house-electronic tracks to Pub Saint Pierre to watch the rugby with the locals.
2. Museum: My favorite is without any doubt Les Abattoirs, the museum of contemporary art for the incredibly well preserved architecture, the luminosity of the space and the great pieces of work exhibited. If you are a fan of the Middle-Age period you will love the Museum des Augustins located to the station Esquirol that holds a collection of incredible sculptures and paintings.
3. Restaurant: If you want to try the best restaurant in Toulouse you should try to book a table at Michel Sarran to try his finest gastronomic cuisine. Looking for something more traditional I would recommend Chez Emile where you can eat regional products as Foie gras, Duck confit, and drink regional wines as Tariquet, Jurancon or even Madiran, Cahors and Bergerac.
4. Location: In Toulouse, people live outside. Influenced by the Spanish culture, the “Toulousains” like to gather outside Tapas Bars, pubs or even in parks. It is a city really alive! My favorite locations will be “place Saint Georges” for the quiet terraces, and posh atmosphere, Place saint Cyprien to gather with locals at La Cantina San-Subra and Les Carmes for the incredible fresh market.
As a typically southwest French city, Toulouse is definitely worth a visit! Sometime is better to get people’s experience than to read a world travel guide. I would recommend also taking some time to visit the countryside nearby as Cahors, Saint Cirq Lapopie, Mont de Marsan to know better this beautiful part of France.
Amandine Dowle
