Toulouse (Midi Canal)

(Published March 2013, last updated April 2024) 

Known as la Ville Rose for the beautiful red brick buildings lining the streets, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France and the starting point of a long-distance walk—or a boating holiday—along the Midi Canal. 

Everything you’d expect to find in a city of almost half a million people is here—dozens of hotels, restaurants, museums, churches and cathedrals. 

What are some of the highlights?

Linger over lunch at Place du Capitole

On your first day in Toulouse, call in to the Tourist Office in Place Wilson, browse through the stands of brochures and pick up a map. Turn left as you leave the Tourist Office and head around to Place du Capitole to mull over your options in one of the cafés lining the square. Eat as cheaply or as fancily as you wish or just grab desert from Amorino where the gelato is a work of art.

Don’t be in a rush to leave—there is always something happening on this vast square which faces the eighteenth-century façade of the Capitole (Town Hall).

Every morning (except Sunday and Monday), a small market sets up in the square but on Wednesday (all day) more than eighty stall-holders lay out a vast array of clothes, jewellery, shoes, books and other knick-knacks. 

If you prefer something simpler, call into any patisserie, pick up something exquisite for a picnic lunch and head south to Jardins des Plantes where the wildlife is plentiful and friendly.

Follow the path of French Resistance Fighters along Circuit de Memoire

To reach Jardins des Plantes from Place du Capitole, work your way backwards along Toulouse Resistante—Circuit de Memoire (brochure available from the Tourist Office).

The path takes you on a 3.5 kilometre (2 mile) journey back in time to World War II and is a reminder of, and a tribute to, the bravery and dangers faced by the citizens of Toulouse during the war. You will pass by the houses and buildings where activities and operations were planned and see the faces of those who risked their lives to help others.

Enjoy a boat cruise along the Garonne River

After leaving Jardins des Plantes, follow Allée Jules Guesde towards the river. Boat cruises leave a few metres from here throughout the day and offer a different view of the city. From the water, it is easy to appreciate why Toulouse is known as la Ville Rose. Almost everything—bridges, walls, houses—has been built from the local red bricks which give the city its rosy glow.

You’ll also experience a journey through a canal lock from the water—a sight you’ll grow accustomed to if you walk towards Carcassonne over the coming week.

Visit the church and cloister of Les Jacobins

Toulouse boasts a number of beautiful churches. Among them, are Saint-Sernin which is the largest Romanesque church in Europe and Saint-Etienne which combines architectural styles from the eleventh to sixteenth centuries into one delightful facade.

If I only had time to visit one church, it would be Les Jacobins. Unlike most large churches in France, the interior is very open and simple except for one end where the brickwork above the supporting columns has been designed to resemble palm trees—at least that’s what I think it looks like! Around the base of one column is a mirror accentuating the height of the ceiling—don’t look in if you suffer from vertigo!

Behind the church is the cloistered garden and convent which are often used for exhibitions—at the time this photo was taken, Amnesty International was holding a poignant display highlighting human injustice and poverty around the world.

Cross the freeway by canal-bridge

If your visit to Toulouse is not the start of a walking (or cycling or boating) holiday along the Midi Canal, take an hour or two to walk a little way out of town to where the canal crosses over the top of the freeway.

It doesn’t matter how many times I see a canal crossing over the top of a freeway or a river, it always amazes me. I guess, in this case, the freeway has been tunnelled under the canal hundreds of years later, but still, it’s the weirdest feeling walking alongside flowing water, many metres above ground.

There’s still much more to experience in Toulouse if you have a couple of days, including a tour of Let’s Visit Airbus—home of the Concorde and the A380; and Cité de l’Espace—an adventure park dedicated to space exploration and featuring the MIR space station.

If you have a car, several of France’s most beautiful villages are nearby including Bruniquel, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Lautrec, Cordes-sur-Ciel and Puycelsi or check at the Tourist Office for day trips to Albi, Lourdes and many more.

FAST FACTS

Which long-distance walk in France visits Toulouse? The Midi Canal 

Where is Toulouse, France?   Find it on Google maps

Toulouse is the capital of the Occitanie region of southern France and starting point of the 105-kilometre (65 mile) walk along the Midi Canal to Carcassonne.

Click through to find my suggested itinerary for the five-day walk from Toulouse to Carcassonne.

If you prefer to set your own agenda, I share the steps I take to plan my itinerary on any long-distance walk (using the Chemin de Stevenson as a case study).

Daily train services on the Narbonne—Carcassonne—Toulouse line connect Toulouse to major towns along or close to the Midi Canal including Baziège, Villenouvelle, Villefranche-du-Lauragais, Avignonet-Lauragais Castelnaudary, Bram and Carcassonne.

Daily Haute-Garonne bus services connect Toulouse with many towns and villages along or close to the Midi Canal including:

Ligne 303—to Ramonville-Saint-Agne

Ligne 350—to Ramonville-Saint-Agne, Auzeville-Tolosane, Castanet, Donneville, Montgiscard, Ayguesvives, Baziège, Villenouvelle, Villefranche-de-Lauragais, Avignonet-Lauragais, Labastide-d’Anjou and Castelnaudary

Ligne 383—to Ramonville-Saint-Agne, Auzeville-Tolosane, Castanet, Donneville, Montgiscard, Ayguesvives, Gardouch and Renneville

Ligne 386—to Baziège, Villenouvelle and Villefranche-de-Lauragais.

Tourist Office in Toulouse 

You’ll find the Tourist Office in Place Wilson, behind the Capitole. Opening hours are listed on the Tourist Office website.

Accommodation in Toulouse  

You’ll find dozens of hotels, ranging from 5-star luxury accommodation to clean but basic 2-star rooms, on the Toulouse Tourisme website.

I can personally recommend Albert 1er for the lovely rooms, great bathroom, friendly service and convenient location a short stroll from Place du Capitole.

I’ve also stayed at the Plaza Hotel—a perfectly nice (but somewhat less personal) hotel ideally located right on Place du Capitole.  

In larger towns, I like to support family-run chambres d’hôtes (the equivalent of the English Bed and Breakfast) which are less likely to be found on hotel booking websites and often find it hard to compete with larger hotels. They offer a warm, friendly welcome and personal service that is sometimes missing from larger establishments.

When I visited Toulouse, I couldn’t find any chambres d’hôtes listed but it’s nice to see the following options are now available.

Maison Anjali (five rooms, 13 people)  
Péniche Amboise (three cabins, six people)    
Hors Scène (two rooms, four people)  
La Bulle de Gaston (one room, two people) 

How to book accommodation in French

Where to eat in Toulouse 

There is a full range of cafés, bakeries, supermarkets and speciality food stores in Toulouse—as you’d expect in France’s fourth largest city (population 445,000).

Toulouse also boasts five Michelin-starred restaurants. If you are looking for something special, choose from:

Les Jardins de l’Opera (one star) from €35 to €110
Le Cénacle (one star) from €39 to €115
Hedone (one star) from €68 to €124
Michel Sarran (one star) from €75 to €195
Py-R (two star) from €98 to €128  

Prices range from affordable to quite pricey depending on whether you visit for lunch or dinner and choose from the degustation or à la carte menus. Check the websites for menus, opening hours and all details.

Market days in Toulouse 

Except for Monday, you’ll find a market in progress somewhere in Toulouse every day of the week.

Tuesday
Marché Place du Capitole – Place du Capitole (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Place Saint-Georges – Place Saint-Georges (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Salin – Place du Salin (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché aux Bouquinistes – Place du Salin (07h00 – 18h00)
Marché Bio – Square de Gaulle (08h00 – 14h00)

Wednesday
Marché Place du Capitole – Place du Capitole (07h00 – 19h00)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Place Saint-Georges – Place Saint-Georges (07h00 – 13h30)

Thursday
Marché Place du Capitole – Place du Capitole (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Place Saint-Georges – Place Saint-Georges (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché de l’Étoile – Place Belfort (16h00 – 21h00)
Marché aux Bouquinistes – Place Arnaud Bernard (07h00 – 18h00)

Friday
Marché Place du Capitole – Place du Capitole (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Place Saint-Georges – Place Saint-Georges (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Ravelin – Place du Ravelin (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché à la Volaille – Place du Salin (06h00 – 13h30)
Marché aux Bouquinistes – Place du Salin (07h00 – 18h00)

Saturday
Marché Place du Capitole – Place du Capitole (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Place Saint-Georges – Place Saint-Georges (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Salin – Place du Salin (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Arnaud Bernard – Place Arnaud Bernard (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Bio – Square de Gaulle (08h00 – 14h00)

Sunday
Marché Cristal – Côté pair du Boulevard de Strasbourg (07h00 – 14h00)
Marché Couvert des Carmes – Place de Carmes (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo – Place Victor Hugo (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Couvert Saint-Cyprien – Place Saint-Cyprien (07h00 – 13h30)
Marché Saint-Aubin – Place Saint-Aubin (07h00 – 14h00)

Practical tips for long-distance walking—preparation, packing and avoiding blisters    

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