Ô Toulouse! Sung by the Great Claude Nougaro, the city of pink walls is renowned for its remarkable architecture, but do you really know it?

 

 

• The Capitol :  

 

The city’s emblem, its history dates back to 1190, when the Capitoul people were looking for a place to establish municipal power. Today it houses the Town Hall and the Capitol Theatre. Come and admire its facade, you won’t be able to miss it! 

 

 

• Canal du Midi : 

 

A symbol of the Occitan region, the Canal du Midi has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Built by Pierre Paul Riquet, it represents an essential place in Toulouse, ideal for walks under the plane trees that border it. 

 

 

• Basilique Saint-Sernin :

 

Around the year 250, Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse, refused to worship the Roman pagan gods and was attached to a bull made mad and dragged through the streets of the city. Legend has it that the bull went up rue Saint-Rome (le Cardo), then part of rue du Taur (“for bull”), before stopping around the current location of the Taur church where the body of the tortured man, collected by the faithful, was buried. Saint-Sernin is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as one of the largest preserved Romanesque churches in Europe.

 

 

• Les Abattoirs : 

 

In 1828, the architect Urbain Vitry was entrusted with a construction project for a large building on the banks of the Garonne. Its function was to bring together in a single place the slaughterhouses of the city of Toulouse, a function it fulfilled until 1989. In the 2000s, Les Abattoirs became a museum of Contemporary Art, which made the best use of the large spaces of this building in order to offer visitors an optimal artistic experience. 

 

 

• Le jardin japonais :

 

The Japanese garden of Toulouse is located in the heart of the Compans-Cafarelli garden. A small peace of heaven, this garden, classified among the most remarkable in France, is inspired by the gardens created in Kyoto and respects Japanese art. 

 

 

• Cathédrale Saint-Etienne :

 

The Cathedral Saint-Étienne of Toulouse is a Roman Catholic cathedral. She gave her name to the area around her. The origins of the cathedral are not well known, but it is believed to have been built by Bishop Isarn in 1701 on the ruins of a previous building on this site. Its architecture is particular because it is composed of architectural elements from different periods. The cathedral adjoins the former episcopal palace, now occupied by the prefecture.

 

 

• Couvent des Jacobins :

 

Built between 1230 and 1350, the Convent of the Jacobins is a medieval jewel in the heart of the city of Toulouse. This place, which brings together History, Art and Faith, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.