Toulouse: La Ville Rose

By Angela Murrills

Toulouse's rose-to-russet-coloured buildings have earned the city the nickname La Ville Rose. But from the idle dark-blue waters of the River Garonne to the scarlet and black team colours of the local rugby team, Toulouse has more than one hue. A city where Southern French ambience meets Catalan warmth, Toulouse dishes up a rainbow of pleasures to relish.

Violet

Sweet-scented violets are Toulouse's emblem. Besides a flask of souvenir perfume, seek out candies, liqueur, tea, jars of confit and scrumptious petite meringues, all tinted and flavoured with violets.

Les Chocolats Yves Thuries, 69 Rue d'Alsace Lorraine, 33-5-61-12-07-79
 
Gold

Nab a front-row seat at the chic Grand Café de l'Opéra for people-watching in the city's main square, Place du Capitole. Indulge in the Grande Salade Gourmande's foie gras, artisanal mocha ice cream and a glass of muscat (or the local bubbly, Blanquette de Limoux). All stay true to the decor's colour theme.

Blue

The age-old dye called woad enriched Toulouse until the 16th century, when the advent of cheaper indigo gave it the heave-ho. In their prime, wealthy woad merchants built palatial "hotels," such as the magical Hôtel Pierre-Delfau, a 15th-century home that's now a store devoted to all things dyed blue with authentic woad.

La Fleurée du Pastel, 20 Rue de la Bourse, 33-5-61-12-05-94

Scarlet

Once a 19th-century chopping shop, Les Abattoirs now houses culture, not carcasses. Thought-provoking works by the likes of Miro, Picasso, Rauschenberg and, appropriately, British shock artist Damien Hirst are the focus in the city's leading modern gallery, handsomely sited on the Garonne's left bank.

76 Allées Charles de Fitte, 33-5-62-48-58-00

Black

Black is the colour of coffee drunk by night-oil burning students – 110,000 of them, the second highest number in France after Paris. Popular after-dark hangouts include Inox Electronic Club, Mr. Carnaval and 7 Discoteca.

Silver

Salute the aerospace industry that fuels the Toulouse economy with a stop at Cité de l'Espace. Board a life-size model of the Mir Space Station. Get up close and personal with a sun-studying satellite. Check out the Planetarium, IMAX theatre, the history of the universe and a real moon rock. Three… two… one…

Avenue Jean Gonord, 33-5-62-71-64-80

White

Crisp antique linens with hand-stitched monograms, grand-mère-style china platters, pin-tucked shirts from a bygone era… All vie for space with a wealth of rustic cookware, vintage posters, bibelots and bric-a-brac at the flea market held weekend mornings around the pink and honey-coloured Basilique Saint-Sernin.

Place Saint-Sernin
 
Modern mosaic

At the three-star Hôtel les Bains-Douches, modern design and mosaic details make this a city original ­– not to mention a convivial lounge-bar, Wi-Fi and a handy downtown location.

4 Rue du Pont Guilheméry, 33-5-62-72-52-52

(Angela Murrills writes about travel and food and spends a disgraceful amount of time indulging in both. She wrote about romantic Vancouver restaurants in the February issue.)

Getting There

Trains connect Paris and Toulouse five times daily. Book now. Plus, take advantage of our great deals on hotels in Paris (with daily room rates as low as $49 CAD) and car rentals.

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