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| Toulouse | ||
| region | Occitania | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 486.828 (2018) | |
| height | 141 m | |
| location | ||
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Toulouse is a city in the southwest Of France in the department Haute-Garonne and capital of the region Midi-Pyrénées. With over 450,000 inhabitants, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France.
Districts
Toulouse has a relatively small city center. The Vieux Quartier, Matabiau (the station district), Les Carmes, St. Cyprien (on the 'other' side of the Garonne) are grouped around them.
background
Because of its red brick houses that dominate the center, Toulouse is also known as the Red City (French. ville rose) called. It has numerous magnificent buildings, which were mainly built by wealthy traders as residential palaces. Because of the Saint-Sernin basilica, it is an important pilgrimage center and is located on one of the four Way of St. James Of France.
The city center is framed by the Garonne and the river Canal du Midi. Your central square is Place du Capitole. All the main attractions of the city are located in the vicinity.
Because of its international corporations and numerous students, Toulouse is a young and cosmopolitan city.
history
The Celts settled in what is now Toulouse. However, their settlement was destroyed by the Romans, who in turn built on the ruins of the city Tolosa built. Due to its favorable location on important trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the city grew rapidly and gained supraregional importance. However, after the Cathar Wars, Toulouse lost its autonomy from the French king. The city experienced its heyday through the prosperous trade with Woad (pastel)that was grown in the area. During this time many of the citizens' palaces still in existence today, the so-called Hotel. With the advent of the cheaper indigo blue, economic decline began. This was only achieved with the completion of the Canal du Midithat was accelerating the traffic stopped. After the First World War, Toulouse became the largest aerospace center in France.
getting there
By plane
The international Toulouse-Blagnac airport is about 8 km outside the city. The best way to get there is with the airport bus, which has several stops in the city center. Lufthansa offers several direct flights daily from Frankfurt am Main and Munich at. Germanwings flies from Hamburg from directly. Ryanair flies daily from Frankfurt am Main.
By train
You can take the train from Austria or Germany to Paris Est at night; then take the metro to Paris Montparnasse, from where it is best to take the TGV to Toulouse-Matabiau. The station Toulouse-Matabiau is located northeast of the center, which can be reached on foot in about 15 minutes.
There are good connections in almost all regions of France. In addition to Paris, for example Bordeaux and Montpellier served directly with the TGV. Regional trains run to cities in the vicinity such as Albi, Montauban, Foix or Auch.
By bus
Long-distance coaches travel to Toulouse from various German cities. They stop at Gare routière (68, Boulevard Pierre Sémard), right next to the Matabiau train station. The journey from Berlin takes about 29 hours, with changes in Cologne and Liège as well as various stops.
In the street
There are two routes to Toulouse from southern Germany. The first is through that Burgundy, the Massif Central and Montauban, are not always on highways. As an alternative, you can use Lyon and go to Montpellier. From Switzerland it is advisable to use Geneva and the Rhone Valley and then also via Montpellier.
Toulouse is surrounded by a toll-free ring road. From there you can take the A61 to the Mediterranean Sea, the A20 in a northerly direction to Quercy and the A62 to Bordeaux.
By bicycle
Toulouse is on the long-distance cycle route Canal des deux mersconnecting Bordeaux to the Mediterranean. The path leads along the Garonne to Toulouse and from there along the Canal du Midi to Agde.
mobility
There are two metro lines (A, B) and two tram lines (T1 and T2) in Toulouse. These operate in the relation Garossos-Aéroconstellation to Palais de Justice (T1) and Aéroport to Palais de Justice (T2). There are S-Bahn-like railway lines operated by the SNCF, one of these lines has the letter C. The city also has an extensive bus network.
The tram runs every 15 minutes during rush hour, on the Palais de Justice-Ancely section it runs every 15 minutes. The Métro runs approximately every 2 minutes during peak hours.
In addition, "VélôToulouse" offers 253 rental bike stations throughout the city. The annual subscriptions are very cheap and make it possible to use a bike from the stations for half an hour at any time without surcharge. Then you bring it back to any station. But it is also possible to rent a bike cheaply without registering with VélôToulouse in advance. Those who do not have a subscription can simply borrow a bike with their credit card or "Carte Bleue".
Tourist Attractions
Churches, mosques, synagogues and temples
- Saint-Sernin basilica. Romanesque gallery basilica with a striking, octagonal bell tower. It is the largest Romanesque church in Europe and the symbol of Toulouse. Conceived as a pilgrimage church, it became a model for other pilgrimage churches on the Way of St. James. The sculptures of the Portes des Comtes, the Porte Miégeville and the choir handling.
- Église des Jacobins. Jacobin convent with monastery church, Gothic two-aisled church. The high palmette pillars with colorful arches reminiscent of palm fronds and the beautiful church windows are particularly worth seeing, especially when the sunlight shines through. The church has an octagonal bell tower in the so-called Toulouse style and houses the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas under the altar. The convent has a beautiful cloister from the 13th century with an adjoining chapter house, which is a masterpiece of the Gothic.
- Saint-Etienne cathedral, Place Saint Etienne. Comes from the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. It was built between the 12th and 17th centuries and is considered to be unbalanced due to its mix of styles.
- Église Notre Dame du Taur, Rue du Taur. The Gothic brick church has a two-story bell gable.
- Église Notre Dame de la Dalbade, Rue de la Dalbade. The 16th century church has a beautiful ceramic tympanum.
Castles, chateaux and palaces
- Capitol (Capitole de Toulouse), Place du Capitole. Magnificent building on the square of the same name, which served as the meeting place for the magistrate (called Capitouls in Toulouse). The donjon (archive tower) dates back to the Renaissance (16th century), the galleries of Cour Henri IV are preserved from the first decade of the 17th century. The classicist main facade made of brick and limestone, known today, was designed around 1750. The building now serves as the town hall and theater (Théâtre du Capitole). Inside the building you can visit the baroque grand staircase, the Salle Gervais with wall paintings by the artist Paul Gervais from around 1900 depicting love at different ages, and the Salle des Illustres from the 1890s with busts of important Toulouse personalities.
Buildings
- Hotel d'Assézat, Place d'Assézat. Representative merchant's house from the 16th century with elaborate decorations, today houses the Fondation Bemberg (an art gallery).
- Hotel d'Augier-Ferrier, Rue Saint-Rome. Noble town house with a beautiful facade from the Renaissance.
- Hotel de Bernuy, Rue Gambetta. The magnificent building of a pastel dealer, now part of the Lycée Pierre de Fermat, has beautiful courtyards in the Renaissance style.
- Pont Neuf. Contrary to its name, the city's oldest bridge over the Garonne. The recesses in the pillars are intended to reduce the water pressure during flooding. From here you have a great view of the city.
Monuments
Museums
- Musée des Augustins, Rue de Metz. The art museum is housed in the former Augustinian monastery, the wonderful rooms alone, which also include a beautiful cloister, are already worth a visit. The painting collection shows mainly French masters from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century, the sculpture department mainly works from the southern French Romanesque. The highlight of the museum is the collection of Romanesque capitals.
- Bemberg Foundation, Place d'Assézat. Art collection with works from the Renaissance to the modern age.
- St-Raymond Museum, Place Saint-Sernin. The museum, housed in a Renaissance building, shows archaeological finds from Toulouse and the surrounding area. The extensive collection of Roman sculptures is particularly noteworthy.
- Le Château d'eau, Place Laganne. Photography exhibition in the former water tower.
- Les Abattoirs. Private exhibition of modern and contemporary art in a former slaughterhouse.
- Le Bazacle. EDF cultural center with changing exhibitions.
- Aeroscopia. Aviation Museum, the visit can be combined with a guided tour of the Airbus factory.
Streets and squares
- Place du Capitole. The main square of the city is 12,000 m² in size, the pavement shows the Occitan cross. On the side opposite the town hall, ceiling paintings can be seen above the arcades, which show scenes from the city's history and important personalities.
- Place Saint-George. The tree-lined square, where numerous restaurants and cafes have settled, is one of the oldest and most popular in the city.
- Rue Saint-Rome. The street in the heart of the old town, which was already laid out by the Romans, is now a pedestrian zone. On both sides there are some magnificent buildings from the Pastel era.
- Rue des Filatiers. The street forms the extension of the Rue Saint-Rome and still has some beautiful half-timbered houses.
Parks
- Jardin des Plantes, Allée Frédéric Mistral. The largest park in the city is especially popular with families because of its playgrounds.
- Jardin Japonais, Boulevard Lascrosses. Japanese garden with ponds, tea pavilion and exotic plants.
various
- Cité de l'Espace, Avenue Jean Gonord. Large theme park about space travel and space, you should take a lot of time for it. Exhibitions on the history of space travel, the everyday life of astronauts, space and much more. Has a true-to-scale copy of the Ariane 5 rocket and a walk-in replica of the MIR space station and a planetarium.
activities
- Boat tour on the Canal du Midi and the Garonne, bike tour on its banks with the rental bikes VêloToulouse.
- Soccer: That 1 Stadium Municipal has a capacity of approximately 40,000 spectators.
shop
The covered markets, Victor Hugo and Les Carmes, offer a nice shopping experience. They also contain restaurants serving a menu that the chef prepares with food bought in the markets. They are only open for lunch and offer a delicious and inexpensive three-course menu.
Most of the shops are in the pedestrian zone around Rue Saint-Rome and the adjacent streets.
kitchen
- Pizzéria de l'Opéra, 15 place St. Georges. In one of the most beautiful places in Toulouse and not as expensive as on Place du Capitole. Offers average quality.
- La Creperie du Taur, 75 rue du Taur. A creperie that suddenly fills up with the masses of offices, especially at lunchtime. Uncomfortable but correct price-performance ratio, especially when the so-called Formules ordered, which e.g. also contain a drink and are much cheaper than the individual components.
- Au Coin de la Rue, Corner of rue Pargaminieres and rue Valade near Place Saint Pierre. A bistro / brasserie near the Garonne in the more student-dominated district.
- La faim des haricots, 2 rue du Puits Vert. Vegetarian restaurant in the old town, which offers buffets for salad, quiche and dessert in addition to a dish of the day. The dishes are freshly prepared and offered at a very good price-performance ratio, hence many student guests. Open every day for lunch and dinner.
- Le Moderni'thé, 2 Rue du Coq d'Inde. Café or tea house in the Les Carmes district, which offers small dishes as well as very good homemade cakes and hot chocolates. Sometimes vegan food and drinks (cocoa without milk) are also offered.
nightlife
- Place St. Pierre. The Place St. Pierre gathers several bars and student pubs.
accommodation
Cheap
medium
- Hotel Ours Blanc Wilson, 2 Rue Victor Hugo near Place Wilson. Comfortable hotel in an Art Deco building with a good location on the edge of the old town and within walking distance of the train station.
Upscale
Learn
The university of Toulouse is the third oldest in France and is now in several Universities split up. In total there are around 100,000 students in Toulouse.
Work
Toulouse is the main center for the aerospace industry in France. Airbus and EADS are the largest employers. However, companies from the metal and electrical industries have also settled in the region. The job market is international; people from all possible nations work in Toulouse.
security
In general, Toulouse is a safe city. In the city center and in crowds, the usual precautions against pickpockets are in order.
health
- Hospital Joseph Ducuing, 15 rue de Varsovie. Tel.: 33 (0)5 61 77 34 00. Located in the St. Cyprien district.
- Pharmacie de nuit, 70-76 Allées Jean-Jaurès. Tel.: 33 (0)5 61 62 38 05. Night pharmacy.Open: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Practical advice
Toulouse is very different from the rest of France in one way. The internationalization of the city through the aircraft and aviation industries makes most of the residents proud and communication with languages other than French is a matter of course and is gladly maintained.
The main post office is behind the Capitol, on Place Charles De Gaulle.
trips
From Toulouse, the surrounding smaller towns such as Albi in the Tarn department (with the Cité épiscopale d'Albi, the episcopal district, including the Sainte-Cécile cathedral) or Foix in the Ariège department, in the Pyrenees, can be easily reached for a day trip by train .
Buses run regularly to Andorra la Vella.
literature
Web links
- http://www.toulouse.fr - Official website of Toulouse
- Tourism site the city of Toulouse
