48hrs Toulouse holiday – must do’s

Nothing beats a little mid-month city break and this week I wanted to share with your my 48hrs Toulouse holiday. I was so lucky to be taken out with the tourism board of Toulouse to explore the city and learn all about its history and obviously I had to share.

Toulouse is known as a city of knowledge and its home to European aeronautics. I’ve covered a little bit more about it later in this post. Apart from this, Toulouse is also called the pink city because of its beautiful sunsets and clay bricks.

Unfortunately, during my Toulouse holiday, the weather wasn’t on my side and I didn’t get to experience beautiful sunsets. Worry not I have made it up in wine and cheese as we really visited some of the most amazing restaurants in Toulouse but a little bit more about it further down this post.

Stay

We stayed at Hôtel Innès located In the heart of downtown Toulouse and a 10-minute walk from Place du Capitole. The hotel was so comfortable and service great especially after 6 pm where in the lobby they offer the best wines of the region accompanied by a selection of cold cuts from the South-West.

The location was ideal as we could walk everywhere without much effort as everything was a 15-minute away. Being able to walk everyhere is one of my main requirements when I’m on a city break and have only a short amount of time in a place. Being able to explore on foot really saves a lot of time and effort. Hotel Innes will make your Toulouse holiday better without doubt.

Food

France is well known for its amazing food and not to mention wine, so every chance I get, I go over and eat my heart out. This visit wasn’t different as we had organised a food tour “Taste of Toulouse” with Jessica Hammer taking us to taste different delicacies at Victor-Hugo covered food market

We tasted croissant, chocolatine, and the baguette de tradition at Maison Beauhaire, French choux pastries at Les Choux d’Eléonore. We tasted the choux pastries (cream puffs) flavoured with the violettes de Toulouse -Toulouse violets which are a staple flavour for this region. Our taste tour didn’t end here as we visited Papaix et Fils- farm to counter foie gras producer, Maison Garcia – saucisson sec (just pork, salt and pepper) and the paté de pintard (guinea fowl) en croute (in a crust); Fromagerie Emilie – fromagerie Emilie – a talented young fromagère in the market.

I could go on and on as we spent the entire afternoon eating. If you are looking to sample local cuisine and French delicacies, then in all honesty Taste of Toulouse is your best bet. The foodie tour really made my 48hrs Toulouse holiday different as I don’t usually opt for similar experiences but oh was I happy I did.

If you are up for a treat I can also recommend a dinner at the restaurant Ma Biche Sur le Toit located at the top of The Galeries Lafayette. The restaurant besides delicious food and rather large portions offer the best views of Toulouse. The cocktails are super nice as well as the special dance show that they put on. We really had a lovely time and their menu signed by Michelin-starred chef Michel Sarran.

Courtyards and Doors of Toulouse

Sadly I didn’t get to experience the pink colours of Toulouse thanks to the lovely weather but I did get an opportunity to see many of its courtyards and doors.

On the happier note, Toulouse is a Pink City due to endless clay walls and beautiful doors that are spread around the city. We had a tour of the hidden courtyards taking us across the city which was a really great way to learn more about the history of the city. I have learned that Toulouse is an ancient city dating back to the 8th Century BC.

Toulouse traded with pastel in became the 4th city in the French Kingdom during the Renaissance. This was a period of great prosperity for the city which resulted in building some of its most iconic buildings that even today stand strong. The architecture of Toulouse is well preserved to this day and 2 of the most iconic and must visit monuments are Place du Capitol and Convent of the Jacobins.

Place du Capitole in the Capitole Square is a must visit as if you look closer to the red marked brick which is so well preserved through the centuries gives Toulouse the nickname Pink City. The square is right in the middle of the city and is a very lively spot with locals and travellers alike. This was our main meet up a point during our Toulouse holiday. Place du Capitole serves as a government seat since the 12th Century.

On the other hand Convent of the Jacobins founded by the Order of Preachers also known as Dominicans dating back to the 12th Century. The church is dedicated to the worship of Our Lady of Good News thanks to John IV who loved to build the church in the hour of the Virgin Mary if he won’t the Battle of Auray. He won and The Convent of the Jacobins still stands strong and its defiantly a must visit. I loved strolling through its gardens and snapping few photos for you guys.

La Cité de l’espace

If you have an interest in space and wonder how it all works, then a visit to the Cité de l’Espace, will help you explore space in new ways and uncover the secrets of the universe. You can totally immerse yourself on a journey to cosmos, visit a real size space-aircraft and get close to satellites and ships. Honestly, it was mind-blowing to see how astronauts live when they are out in space and how humble they are as human beings.

Grasping a concept of the universe has always been an interest of mine and I’m so grateful that I got to experience how we humans can explore it further.

Currently the Exhibition «MOON, EPISODE II» marks 50 years since the first man set his foot on the moon.

I even got a chance to experience what would walk on the Moon feel like. Its truly a must do during your Toulouse holiday.

Toulouse Tourism office offers a Tourism Pass so you can experience all the best activities on your Toulouse holiday. the Tourism Pass includes free public transport, museums and monuments and You can also get various activities at reduced rates.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you have the best trip to Toulouse. I would love to hear your thoughts too so please leave me a comment below.

Have a great week ahead.

Tania xxx