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Guide to Toulouse, France
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ToulouseThe fourth-largest city in France (one of the most simplistically-beautiful, as well), Toulouse is a place of laissez-faire lifestyle and a strong foot in the national education system. It is the capital of the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, and while it does have its own hustle and bustle, youre bound to find it as a much calmer city than Paris. Commercial districts only makes up a quaint fraction of what the city has to offer, and while the sites are not so much measured in quantity as they are quality, the real attraction of Toulouse for visitors is the common interaction of city and nature. You cant walk down a city street (apart from the heart of downtown) and lose sight of a colorful tree or take a bicycle trip along the canals and view historic structures surrounded by wildflowers. The atmosphere is pleasant, the people are more than welcoming to travelers from all around the world, and there always seems to be something interesting happening in one place or another. Visit Toulouse for wholesome, small-town experience with the benefit of big-name cultural centers. Book your flight today!
When to go:
Toulouse sits in center of southern France, leaving it untouched by the blizzards of the north, but receiving the brunt of the sun during the summertime. Travelers enjoy just about any season in Toulouse as long as it doesnt rain, but the time of year that seems the greatest number of visitors is clearly autumn. This is of course due to the incredible collage of colors that the landscape shows, and while youre strolling around the countryside youll notice the fruit ready for picking. Remember, there are plenty of fresh-fruit markets in town, so keep your fingers from the orchards! Springtime is a great period to visit Toulouse too if you cant find time to make it here in autumn.
Getting there and around:
The citys airport, Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, which is shared with a neighboring town, is just 8km (5mi) away. The airport doesnt have the full-monty of services, but were sure that a few duty-free shops, restaurants, and bars will do the trick just fine. When youre ready to head out to Toulouse, youll be offered the choice of bus or taxi services. If youre not in much of a rush, you can wait for a bus (departure every 20 minutes), or you can hop in a taxi as soon as one is available.
Many of the commuters in Toulouse are associated with the academic sector in one way or another, so you can rest assured that throughout the day, buses are full of students, alumni, and professors. If you cant walk to your destination, we suggest hiring a taxi, which is better done by phone than flailing helplessly at a street corner.
Attractions:
The Chateau Bellevue is possibly the most-visited site in all of Toulouse. Though it was converted to a school for 15- to 18-year-old adolescents, it still retains its magnificence to this day. The structure is somewhat commonplace in its rectangular form, but the arched windows are what continue to draw visitors to the chateaus ground. Oh, yes, we must also mention the gardens which adorn the structure. Large lawns wrap around beautifully, and youll find a few statues worth a closer look. In the area where sports facilities exist also stand a few century-old trees where you may just find an aspiring young novelist or two devouring classic fiction beneath the foliage.
While it may not receive as much traffic as one might presume, the Port de lEmbouchure is a beautiful area where the Canal du Midi, the Brienne canal, and the lateral canal conjoin, and where you may find a few barges moored as well. Before taking a brief walk alongside one of the waterways you may enjoy a stop at the reservoirs wall, where youll see a beautiful bas-relief depiction of the ancient city known as Garonne.
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