Toulouse

Toulouse — la Ville Rose (the Pink City) for its distinctive rose-coloured brick architecture — is one of France's most vibrant and liveable cities. The capital of the Occitanie region in the southwest sits on the Garonne River and has a youthful, energetic character driven by its enormous student population and its role as the centre of Europe's aerospace industry (Airbus is headquartered here). The historic centre, compact and walkable, is centred on the Place du Capitole — an elegant square dominated by the magnificent Capitole building (city hall and opera house) with its neoclassical facade. The Basilica of Saint-Sernin is the largest surviving Romanesque church in Europe and an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The Musée des Augustins, housed in a former convent, has an excellent collection of medieval sculpture. Toulouse's food culture is exceptional. The city is in the heart of cassoulet country — the slow-cooked white bean and duck/sausage stew — and its markets (Victor Hugo covered market is outstanding) reflect the extraordinary produce of the southwest. The Canal du Midi, a Unesco World Heritage masterpiece of 17th-century engineering, passes through the city on its way to the Mediterranean. The weekly flea market and the lively student bar scene around the university make Toulouse excellent value. Visit in spring or early autumn.