Toulouse is just under an hour's drive from Château Cazalères, making it the largest city near this holiday park. With almost half a million inhabitants, it is France's fourth largest city and definitely worth a visit if you want to alternate your time in the peaceful countryside with a city trip.
Toulouse
La Ville Rose! The pink city, that's how Toulouse is also called in France. Walking around the streets you will immediately see why, almost all the buildings in the historic centre are made of the same characteristic red bricks. This unique architecture gives Toulouse its undeniable charm.
City tour of Toulouse
Place du Capitole, the central square, is the heart of the city. Your city tour of Toulouse will probably start here. The stately Renaissance houses that rise on all sides of the square, including the town hall and theatre, often date back to the 16th century and are some of the city's highlights. Behind the town hall is the old keep, or bell tower. Today, the Tourist Information Centre is located in this building.
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The unique architecture gives Toulouse its unmistakable charm
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Cultural sights in Toulouse
Other sights not to be missed are Basilica Saint-Sernin de Toulouse, one of the largest Romanesque churches in the world (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Hôtel d'Assézat, a beautiful Renaissance-style art museum. For a bit of relaxation in this vibrant city, head to Jardin des Plantes, a large city park with botanical garden and several cafés and museums.
The lively streets of the historic centre are full of cafés and shops. Stroll along the beautiful old buildings, step into a shop or take a seat on one of the many terraces. Of particular note is N°5 Wine Bar, with a Dutch touch. It features a wine bottle from the year 1735, which was unearthed off the North Holland coast from a shipwreck. They serve as many as 500 different wines here, each with an accompanying tapas. So as a wine lover, you should definitely have been here once!
If you are not a wine lover, L'Autre Salon du The is a good alternative. Apart from a very wide variety of teas, the patisserie is a feast for the eyes and the tongue.
Watching planes with the kids
Toulouse is the European capital for aviation and aerospace. Large companies like Airbus and SPOT Satelite (a manufacturer of highly sophisticated space cameras) have their headquarters here, and France's national space agency has its main office here. Book an excursion to the Airbus factories and see for yourself how a plane is built. This is guaranteed to be a wonderful outing for the kids! Other fun outings: Cité d'Espace, east of Toulouse or Musee Aeroscopia in Blagnac.
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