Understand
Toulouse has become a center of aviation and spaceflight in the past 20 years. More than 35,000 of the city's 400,000 citizens work in the civil aviation or space industries; Airbus / EADS is the largest employer in the region. The city has remained relatively unchanged despite the economic boom.
The city at the Garonne river is located on the site of an ancient Roman settlement; even today many of the smaller streets follow their Roman counterparts and many of the red brick buildings are of a pseudo-Roman style. These buildings are also what gives Toulouse its nickname La ville rose (The pink city).
In the middle ages, Toulouse was one of the richest cities of France due to the sale of blue coloring extracted from woad plants. This monopoly was only broken when the Portuguese began to import Indigo to Europe. Over 50 hotels, mansions, remain witness to the past wealth.
Get in
By plane
Regular scheduled domestic and international flights arrive at Blagnac airport, about 20 minutes from the city. It serves connections from Paris about every hour. There are many other flights as well, for example to Munich and Frankfurt.
To get to the city from the airport, you can use a Bus Shuttle for about 4.00 €. Going by Taxi will cost about 15 €.
By train
French railways :
Paris : 5h (by TGV) to 7h30 (common train).
Bordeaux : 2h30.
Marseille : 4h00.
The train station is almost in the heart of the city.
By car
Major highways towards Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Barcelona
By bus
Bus terminal at the railway station.
Get around
Toulouse has a network of bus and metro lines. The bus services tend to be not very reliable and miss the timetable. The metro is relatively small, with only about 15 stations; but then Toulouse is a small city. Consequently you can also walk to most destinations in the inner city quite comfortably.
By car
You should avoid going downtown with a car, as parking space is seriously limited.
See
Toulouse is a small city, and you can reach most interesting places in the downtown area comfortably on foot.
Tours
The tourism information office located in the back side of the Capitolium organizes guided tours of the city. Some of these are in English. Check ahead for their schedule.
There is another possibility if you want to have a private guide for a personnalized tour, visit the website called Toulouse A La Carte.
If you are a group, the service Toulouse Visit provides tour in English and Spanish or French.
If you are an individual you can also take daily excursions departing from Toulouse and that head towards all the major sights of the region: Small villages of the region, Albi, Carcassonne, Lourdes, Canal du Midi... The excursions take place on board 8 seater fully equipped minivans and are taken care of by professional driver guides. Languages include English, Spanish or French. Visit the website OPHORUS
Taxiway the company which offers Airbus factory tours (see below) also offers tours of the La Dépêche du Midi regional newspaper and for the more adventurous the water treatment facility!
A few websites you can check:
--> the Regional Commitee for Tourism: http://www.tourism.midi-pyrenees.org/
--> the City Hall Website (French Only): http://www.toulouse.fr
Airbus
Airbus offers tours of their facilities; the tour takes about 60 minutes and includes a guide who will tell you some background about the company; the screening of a promotional / historical video, and a look at the A380 production line. Photography is strictly forbidden, and you need to bring a piece of photo identification. Book ahead. Those who have done the tour before 2006 should note that tours now set off from a new purpouse built structure shaped like a cross-section of the A380. The building can sometimes be awkward to find so check the website in advance.
Visit the website of Airbus Visit, the unique company agreed by Airbus to provide tours of the A340, A380 and Concorde.
Cité de l'Espace
The "space city" is another of Toulouse's "aviation" attractions. However you must be aware that it is not exactly a museum but a sort of scientific theme park without rides. There are some replicas of spacecraft and other exhibits, many of the later interactive in some minor way. There's also a small planetarium. The park is suited well to 5-14 year old children, everybody else should probably spare themselves the trip. It's situated fairly outside the city but there's a bus service starting outside the main train station.
Take bus route no. 37 from the Marengo metro station going to La Plaine. Ask for the Cité de l'espace bus stop.
Further details available on : http://www.cite-espace.com
Do
Artsy places and associative world (websites in French!)
Learn
There are a lot of universities in Toulouse, that makes it the second city in France for the number of students : 120000.
In Toulouse are major universities and lots of engineer or management school :
Universities
Engineer Schools
Other Schools
Work
Anglophone travellers might find employment in the Aviation industry; however even here French is commonly used. Also, with the current heightened security concerns, new employee will require extensive screening so these jobs are not suited for short-term work.
Local medias
--> Toulouse has its own TV channel, which is only broadcasted within the city and its close surroundings. It is still very well known to locals and is named TLT which stands for Télévision Locale Toulouse (Toulouse Local TV) - in French only
--> Intramuros, a weekly local newspaper with local news, the latest movies/theater plays/shows/concerts and local events of every kind, etc. - for free and available in various places e.g. alternative cinemas, etc.
--> A localised edition of the La Dépêche du Midi newspaper is also widely available.
Eat
Like all of France, you will not be disappointed with the food Toulouse offers. Duck is a regional specialty, and thus many restaurants will offer duck for dinner.
Also, go during lunch time at the first floor of the Victor Hugo market, you'll find many good restaurants at a very good price. Market atmosphere, and better be patient to wait for seats as no reservations are possible, but it is worth it if you want to feel a typical local atmosphere.
Cassoulet is the most famous regional dish, a stew made with white beans, various kinds of meat, and pork skin. Try it.
Buy
Opening hours in Toulouse are generally Mon-Sat 9AM-1PM and 3PM-7PM, but there are numerous exceptions.
Sleep
Get out
in the local accent) (Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced tuˈluzɔ) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1.1 million inhabitants in 2007, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in France and the fastest growing in Europe.
Toulouse is the centre of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus, Galileo positioning system, the SPOT satellite system, and CNES's Toulouse Space Center (CST), the largest space center in Europe. Thales Alenia Space, Europe's largest satellite manufacturer, and EADS Astrium Satellites, EADS's satellite system subsidiary, also have a significant presence in Toulouse.
Toulouse was the capital of the former province of Languedoc (provinces were abolished during the French Revolution). It is now the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées région, the largest région in metropolitan France. It is also the préfecture (capital) of the Haute-Garonne département. It is the seat of the Académie des Jeux Floraux, the equivalent of the French Academy for the Occitan-speaking regions of southern France, making Toulouse the unofficial capital of Occitan culture. The traditional Occitan cross was adopted as the symbol of both the City of Toulouse and the newly-founded Midi-Pyrénées région.
History
Main article: History of Toulouse. See also: Counts of Toulouse
Born during the Roman Empire, Toulouse was once a major metropolis of western Europe, but it sank into a sleepy regional-level status in the 18th and 19th centuries, completely missing the Industrial Revolution. In the 20th century, relocation of key military and aerospace industries in Toulouse by the French central government have awakened the city again. In an ironic twist of history, what was once a big liability for Toulouse has now become its best asset: no Industrial Revolution meant a falling economic status for the city, but it has spared Toulouse the environmental damages and painful socio-economic restructuring that are plaguing so many northern European industrial cities.
Benefiting from its status as Europe's capital of aerospace industry, as well as from the flow of population from the industrial belt to the sunbelt of Europe, Toulouse metropolitan area doubled its population between 1960 and 2000 (in the meantime the population of France increased only by 30%). With good prospects for aerospace and biotech industries, growth is likely to continue in the near future. Toulouse is thus recovering step by step its former rank as a major European metropolis, but it faces increasing challenges: how to accommodate such a rapid growth, how to upgrade transport and develop housing and infrastructures, in short how to reinvent the city in the 21st century.
Population
During his time as mayor, Toulouse's economy and population boomed. Baudis' policies were deliberately moderate, and he always tried to accommodate (opponents would say anesthetize) the left. He tried to strengthen the international role of Toulouse (such as its Airbus operations), as well as revive the cultural heritage of the city. The Occitan cross, flag of Languedoc and symbol of the counts of Toulouse, was chosen as the new flag of the city, instead of the traditional coat of arms of Toulouse (which included the fleurs-de-lis of the French monarchy). Many cultural institutions were created, in order to attract foreign expatriates and emphasize the city's past. For example, monuments dating from the time of the counts of Toulouse were restored, the city's symphonic concert hall (Halle aux Grains) was refurbished, a city theater was built, a Museum of Modern Art was founded, the Bemberg Foundation (European paintings and bronzes from the Renaissance to the 20th century) was established, a huge pop music concert venue (Zénith, the largest in France outside Paris) was built, the space museum and educational park Cité de l'Espace was founded, etc.
To deal with growth, major housing and transportation projects were launched. Perhaps the one for which Baudis is most famous is the subway of Toulouse: line A of the subway was opened in 1993, and Baudis succeeded in having work started on line B (scheduled to open in 2007), despite strong local opposition to the anticipated costs. The creation of a system of underground car parking structures in downtown Toulouse was sharply criticized by the Green Party, although it certainly fulfilled the demands of downtown Toulouse store and shop owners, and makes life easier for people who cannot use public transportation to go downtown. Today, even opponents cannot deny that the face of Toulouse has completely changed in the space of 20 years.
Despite all these massive undertakings, the city's economy proved so strong that Dominique Baudis was able to announce, in 1999, that the city had finished repaying its debt, making it the only large city in France ever to achieve solvency. In Europe, typical per capita city debt for a city the size of Toulouse is around 1,200 euros (US $1,550). Achieving solvency was a long-standing goal for Baudis, who had said that he would extinguish city debt before leaving office. Local opposition, however, has criticized this achievement, saying that the task of governments is not to run zero-deficit, but to ensure the well-being of citizens, through social benefits, housing programs for poor people, etc. Despite the controversy, what remains certain is that the city has decreased local taxes in the recent years, due to the end of the burden of the debt, and Toulouse has one of the lowest level of taxation in Europe.
In 2000, Dominique Baudis was at the zenith of his popularity, with approval rates of 85%. To everyone's astonishment, he announced that he would not run for a fourth (6-year) term in 2001. He explained that with 3 terms he was already the longest-serving mayor of Toulouse since the French Revolution; he felt that change would be good for the city, and that the number of terms should be limited. He endorsed Philippe Douste-Blazy, then UDF mayor of Lourdes as his successor. Baudis has since been appointed president of the CSA (Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel) in Paris, the French equivalent of the American FCC.
Not as charismatic or well-known as Dominique Baudis, Philippe Douste-Blazy narrowly won in the 2001 elections, which saw the left making its best showing in decades. Douste-Blazy has had to deal with a reinvigorated political opposition, as well as with the dramatic explosion of the AZF plant in late 2001. Harboring national ambitions, unlike Baudis who always refused to become a national figure and preferred to focus on Toulouse, Douste-Blazy was often perceived as using Toulouse only as a springboard to launch his national political career in Paris.
Indeed, in March 2004 he entered the national government, and left Toulouse in the hands of his second-in-command Jean-Luc Moudenc, elected mayor by the municipal council. (Douste-Blazy remains president of the Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse.) Jean-Luc Moudenc, however, does not command authority over his majority the way that Dominique Baudis did. Members of the majority fear that Toulouse could well elect a mayor from the left at the next (2008) election, and the figure of Baudis is largely missed. Indeed, his shadow still looms large over city hall, and many an insider murmurs that Baudis, who is still closely following local political events from Paris, will make his grand return to Toulouse in 2007 when he steps down from the Presidency of the CSA.
Sights
Religious buildings
Museums
Museums in Toulouse include:
Economy
The main industries are aeronautics, space, electronics, information technology and biotechnology. Toulouse hosts the Airbus headquarters and assembly-lines of Airbus A300 A310 A320 A330 A340 and A380. The others (A318, A319, A321 and A380 interior furnishing) being in Hamburg, Germany. Airbus intends to relocate Toulouse A320 final assembly activity to Hamburg, with A350 and A380 production going in the opposite direction as part of its Power8 organization plan begun under ex-CEO Christian Streiff.
According to Newsweek Toulouse ranked as the third most dynamic city of 2006.
Colleges and universities
Toulouse has the second-largest student population in France after Paris.
The University of Toulouse (Université de Toulouse), established in 1230, is located here (now split into three separate universities). Like the universities in Oxford and Paris, the University of Toulouse was established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Greek philosophers. These writings challenged European ideology - inspiring scientific discoveries and advances in the arts - as society began seeing itself in a new way. These colleges were supported by the Church in hopes to reconcile Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology. Today, Toulouse is the second largest university campus of France after Paris, with more than 110,000 students attending its three universities (Université Toulouse I, Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail (Toulouse II), Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III)) and its engineering schools (INSA Toulouse, SUPAERO, ENSICA, ENAC, ENSEEIHT, IPSA, INPT, ...).
Toulouse also hosts the Industrial Economics Institute (Institut D'Economie Industrielle, IDEI) that is become one of the best European research centres in economics as well as its associated graduate school (MPSE - Midi Pyrénées Sciences Economiques) that recruits the ablest students from all countries in the European Union and further afield.
The most well known high schools in Toulouse are Lycée Pierre de Fermat and the Ensemble Scolaire Saint Joseph.
Transport
In addition to an extensive bus system, the Toulouse Metro system is a VAL (Véhicule Automatique Léger) metro system made up of driverless (automatic) rubber-tired trains. The existing line A runs for 12.5km. It was recently extended and now runs from Balma-Gramont to Basso Cambo. The new line B, expected to open in 2007, will add 20 stations and will intersect line A at Jean Jaurès. Line E (tramway) is going to be finished in 2009, and will roll from Beauzelle to Arènes. Line C has existed since line A was completed. It is not VAL but a classical railway line with SNCF trains; it connects to line A at Arènes. Another oft-used commuter train line (D) runs to the city of Muret.
Airports include:
Railway stations include:
Communications
Toulouse is home to Bonhoure Radio Tower, a 61-metre high lattice tower used for FM and TV transmission.
Culture
Toulouse, known as the Ville Rose ("Pink City") for its distinctive brick architecture, is host to a rich and diverse culture. It has a thriving scene of unusually beautiful graffitis, with the painter Miss Van at its forefront. In sports, it boasts a highly respected rugby union team, Stade Toulousain, which has been a four-time finalist and three-time winner in Europe's top club competition in the sport, the Heineken Cup. Toulouse is considered an epicentre for rugby union. The city will be hosting games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup as well. The city also has a football (soccer) team in Toulouse FC, a rugby league team, Toulouse Olympique, who has won the French championship on four occasions, and a rugby union team, le Stade Toulousain who won the national title 16 times. The city also hosted games during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Toulouse was the home of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), most famous for his book Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). There is a permanent gallery with numerous photos, and some of his works, located in the Hotel du Grand Balcon - just off the Place du Capitole - where he stayed. (The Bohemian painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec lived in Paris and shared only his name with Toulouse).
The city's gastronomic specialties include Saucisses de Toulouse, a type of herb sausage, cassoulet Toulousain, a bean and pork stew, and garbure, a cabbage soup with poultry. Also, foie gras, the liver of an overfed duck or goose, is a delicacy mainly made in the Midi-Pyrénées.
Notable births and deaths in Toulouse
See also
External links
