AREA 237 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Canal du Midi Toulouse of Cordes-sur-Ciel crashes down a hillside in the of Cordes-sur-Ciel Cité Cité ( p245 ) bastide ( p245 ), nightlife nightlife Musée Toulouse-Musée ( p242 ) , taking out afloat at time place St-Pierre on ( p241 ) ( p248 ) ( p251 ) apéro Canal du Midi du Canal Buddha Boat Spa (fortified than deserving stop. villages), more medieval of a lunch or overnight the region’s finest wine in and around finest wine in and around the region’s Gaillac artistic at Albi’s master de l’Espace the catch a local band and party until dawn with Toulouse’s student-busy the

Sniff, swill, sip and spit (or swallow) some of and mind of an work into the life, Delve Play astronauts at Toulouse’s interactive ) and go for a spin along p246 Grab a bike ( Sip an Sip

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

A whisker away, the Pyrenees stride out spiky and snowcapped on the horizon. stride out spiky and snowcapped on the horizon. A whisker away, the Pyrenees Toulouse, a dynamic and confident city astraddle the pea-green Canal du Midi, du Canal confident city astraddle the pea-green Toulouse, a dynamic and ranks

most unladylike fashion. bottle. Not far away, the beautiful bottle. ( p41 ). Nearby is Gaillac, a gastronomic name any wine lover knows from the label on the is Gaillac, a gastronomic name any wine lover ). Nearby p41 ( a cathedral and the world’s finest collection of the artist’s Parisian cabaret–inspired work cabaret–inspired a cathedral and the world’s finest collection of the artist’s Parisian Toulouse-Lautrec was born in red-brick Albi, a historic town 75km northeastToulouse-Lautrec was born in red-brick with a king of sure sign of a warm welcome for walkers sign of a warm welcome seekingsure a bed for the night. lanes and narrow backstreets and spot the odd rucksack strung from a 1st-floor window – a rucksack strung from a 1st-floor and spot the odd lanes and narrow backstreets west to Santiago de Compostela have passed through here. Delve into Toulouse’s quieter into Toulouse’s quieter Delve passed through here. have west to Santiago de Compostela far away: for centuries Chemins de St Jacques pilgrims following the Chemin d’Arles road Chemins de St Jacques pilgrims following the far away: for centuries party and you know is not till dawn in its vibrant bars, cafés and clubs, with students quite as sultry and Mediterranean steamy as Montpellier (no palm trees for starters), but (no palm trees as Montpellier steamy Mediterranean as sultry and quite among ’s liveliest and fastest-growing urban centres. Bags of fun, it might not be Bags of fun, it urban centres. fastest-growing and among France’s liveliest bastides into Languedoc proper. En route are some fascinating historical sights and sun-drenched fascinating historical sights and sun-drenched some are En route into Languedoc proper. springboard for zillions of travellers who land at its airport, of travellers springboard for zillions pick up wheels and motor west were redrawn almost half a century ago. In geographical limbo since, sort In geographical limbo since, of, the city is a ago. almost half a century redrawn were Once Languedoc’s traditional centre, Toulouse was hived off when regional boundaries boundaries off when regional hived Toulouse was traditional centre, Once Languedoc’s Toulouse Area TOULOUSE AREA and, 200m east, place Wilson. two principalsquares are placedu Capitole (east).Its Carnot its continuation,blvd Lazare Garonne (west)and blvddeStrasbourg and The heartof isboundedbytheRiver Toulouse and romanticanytime of day. the grassybanksof itswaterways are peaceful clubbingalternatives,ues andlate-night while injects afeisty energy intoitsbars, musicven- student populationgives thecityakickand and tumultuoushistory( p27 ). Asizeable streets andbountyof churches oozesarich city. fourth-largest brown River Garonne,isinfactFrance’s duMidiand themucky by thegreen Canal rose la ville thenthat –bedazzles.Nosurprise by night mirage of rose-red brickbuildings,bright try, thisdynamiccity–pinkbydaywithits line metrotoitsboomingaerospaceindus- From thecontemporary two- artinitssleek pop 437,100 238 Orientation TOULOUSE Rieumes TOULOUSE AREA Old Toulouse with its wonky medieval withitswonkymedieval Old Toulouse Castelsarrasin ARIÈGE OLUEAE • Tuos ••Toulouse TOULOUSE AREA N124 N113 Save A64 (thepinkcity),slicedinthree Colomiers

N20 G

a To Cahors

Toulouse-

Aéroport r

o (25km) Blagnac

Muret n

n e A62 N20 Ramonville L' Union St-Agne

Montgiscard

Auterive T

Toulouse a

r n N88 A61 Négra

D999

C Villefranche de

a

n

a Lauragais

l

d D964

u M

Castelnau de

i Montmiral d i Lauragais Port A88 @wanadoo.fr; 17 rue Lakanal) English-language @wanadoo.fr; 17rueLakanal) bookshop. -blanches.fr; 48-50 rue Gambetta) Maps andtravel Maps -blanches.fr; 48-50rueGambetta) guides. the Netwhileyour smocks wash. cafe 11am-9pmTue-Sat, laundrette 8am-9pmdaily)Surf perhr€4; http://laveriedeslois.spaces.live.com; Laundrette. The Bookshop The lustrations of thecity’s history,fromthe side of bustling On theceilingof thearcadesonwestern Sights Office Tourist Post Office Blanches Ombres Le Ch@tdelaVoisine desLois Laverie Bulle deSavon 2-5pm Sun Oct-May) Insidea 2-5pm SunOct-May) 16th-century tower. 9am-12.30pm&2-6pmSat, 10am-12.30pm& Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm&2-6.15pmSunJun-Sep, SqCharlesdeGaulle; -tourisme.com; access. 7 Troubadours;perhr€2; Information AROUND PLACE DUCAPITOLE Naurouze Seuil de D15 D4 Gaillac N126 (9ruelaFayette) Cordes-sur-Ciel ( ( % % (56 ruedesBlanchers; ( ( % place duCapitole Les Homps % 05 61110222;www.toulouse 05 61229992;bookshop.tlse To Rodez(32km) les Mines 05 61237145;19ruedesLois; Cagnac h ( 05 34455333;www.ombres D103 % 20km 10miles 0 0 Albi 10am-midnight) Internet 05 61573618;25ruedes Saissac N112 N88 h lonelyplanet.com AUDE Mas Cabardes h 9am-7pm are 29vividil-

Haut-Languedoc 8am-10pm) T Parc Naturel

To Montpellier Régional du a

N112 r h

n AVEYRON To Millau (130km) Cabardes (84km) Miravel- cyber- Venus