Toulouse Facts

In Toulouse, it all starts with the Capitol, the very heart of the city. Wandering through the surrounding areas, however, stretching north, east, south, and west to the city boundaries, reveals the life behind that pulse. Through this sort of exploration, the city gradually unveils its many faces, its treasures and contrasts: reminders of the past coexist with modern developments, small quiet streets with busy shopping thoroughfares, lively areas with dormitory suburbs, parks with buildings.

Toulouse's center

The Capitol An impressive building with an imposing façade, the Capitole, marks the very heart of the "Ville rose" (pink city). Today it houses the town hall and the Théâtre du Capitole....

...(known as la ville en rose, or the city in pink) is the major city of the southwest, and the gateway to the Pyrenees mountain range. It is an ancient city with a stormy history: Once it was the capital of the Visigoths and later the center of the comtes de Toulouse (counts of Toulouse). The city has 20 historic pipe organs, more than any other city in France, and hosts an annual international organ festival.

Complimenting this distinguished history, Toulouse is also a city of the future and the high-tech center of the aerospace industry in France. It is home to two huge aircraft makers -- Airbus and Aérospatiale -- and the National Center for Space Research has been headquartered here for more...