Toulouse General Info

General Information

The City

Toulouse sits on the banks of the Garonne River in the South-West of France. It is the fifth largest city in France and the fastest growing metropolitan area in Europe. The city is an important high-tech industrial centre with the headquarters of Airbus, Galileo Positioning Systems and EADS. Toulouse is also the centre for Europe’s space industry and satellite production.

History

Situated half way between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Toulouse has been an important trading centre since Roman times and the University of Toulouse (established 1229) is one of the oldest in the world. The city experienced a lull in activity and prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries when the industrial revolution bypassed the town in favour of other cities such as Bordeaux and Marseille. The 20th century however, heralded a turn in the city’s fortunes. The development of the aviation industry resulted in a population explosion from 329,000 in 1962 to 880,000 in 2007. Toulouse could soon overtake Lille and Lyon as France’s third largest city.

Basilique St-Sernin

The Saint-Sernin basilica in Toulouse is Europe’s largest Romanesque church and an important pilgrimage destination to this day. It was constructed between 1080 and 1120 on the site of a 4th century basilica containing the remains of Saint Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse (AD 250).
The most iconic feature of the building, although a later 15th Century addition, is the church’s impressive bell tower. The oldest part of the building is the chevet – a group of nine chapels, five in the apse and four in the transept.
The crypt contains various relics and the remains of Saints, which have been on public display since the 17th Century.

Capitole de Toulouse

The Capitole de Toulouse is the heart of Toulouse’s city centre and the home of its municipal administration. The 135-meter classical façade was built in 1750 and redesigned in 1873 by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc with a bell tower. Today the building houses the city hall, an opera company and the Toulouse Symphony Orchestra. The Place de Capitole has been pedestrianised and is now a pleasant square surrounded by bars, restaurants and hotels.

Canal du Midi

The Canal du Midi links Toulouse with the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It also links Toulouse to the cities of Bordeaux, Béziers and Carcassonne. Designed to allow a safe and shorter passage for boats travelling from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, avoiding the lengthy journey round Spain and the Barbary Pirates, the Canal du Midi is now primarily used by leisure boats. The Canal passes through picturesque French countryside and is very popular for barge holidays.