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France : Toulouse - September 2009

Country Code: Dial for France

September is particularly lively in Toulouse, thanks to contemporary art festival Le Printemps de Septembre (25 September – 18 October) and the piano concert season in the cloisters of the Jacobins monastery (3-29 September). Anthea Gerrie reports

Getting around

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport is 8km north-west of the city.

Bus: A shuttle bus leaves every 20 minutes for the city centre. A single ticket costs €3,90, and a return is €5,90.
Taxi: There are specific taxi stands at the airport, or you can order one by phone. A journey to the city centre costs around €25.
Tourist information: The main office is on Square du Général de Gaulle (tel. , toulousetourisme. com).

RIGHT BANK

The compact town centre contains a host of treasures. Expect to spend most of your time exploring, eating and shopping before crossing the river or heading to the space park.

Sleep soundly – New Appart’Hôtel (2 Rue des Lois, tel. , appart-hotel-toulouse.fr, apartments from €120) is a series of high-design apartments on the fourth floor of a 19th-century building close to Place du Capitole. Hôtel Garonne (22 Descente de la Halle aux Poissons, tel. , hotelgaronne.com, rooms from €170) is an elegant choice close to Pont Neuf (one of Toulouse’s most beautiful landmarks) and Saint-Cyprien, which is a bit short on hotels.

Culture vultures – Cloître des Jacobins (Parvis des Jacobins), a masterpiece of gothic architecture, is worth a visit any time, but never more so than when piano concerts are staged there. Piano aux Jacobins (pianojacobins.com) takes place most nights in September. Expect mostly classical stuff with a smattering of jazz. Musée des Augustins (21 Rue de Metz) is the city’s renowned fine arts museum, housed in a 14th-century convent and highly rated for its gothic sculptures and religious paintings. Basilique Saint-Sernin (Place Saint- Sernin) is the world’s largest surviving Romanesque church. Archaeological buffs will enjoy the ancient finds at Musée Saint-Raymond opposite the basilica on Place Saint-Sernin.

Must eat – Another Toulouse institution Brasserie La Capoul (13 Place Wilson, tel. ) has been completely renovated and brought under the direction of a Michelin-starred chef.

Must drink – Le Père Louis (45 Rue des Tourneurs) is so beloved after more than a century as a city watering hole, it now has historical landmark status. But Place Saint-Pierre, perched on the right bank of the river, has the greatest concentration of bars and clubs. Try La Couleur de la Culotte (14 Place Saint-Pierre) for house and electro, and enjoy the terrace on a warm night.

Dance the night away – Villa Garden (157 Avenue Lespinet) stays lively into the small hours.

Shop til you drop – The shoe stores of Rue de Saint-Rome and Rue Alsace- Lorraine are legendary. Two to look out for on the latter, newly pedestrianised street are Minelli (30 Rue Alsace-Lorraine) and Mephisto (57 Rue Alsace-Lorraine).

SAINT-CYPRIEN

The spotlight falls heavily on the arty left bank of the River Garonne during the September festival season, but its narrow streets are a delight to wander at any time, packed as they are with galleries and unexpected bars.

Culture vultures – Les Abattoirs (76 Allée Charles-de-Fitte), a slaughterhouse converted into a showcase for contemporary art, will become a temporary home to installations and conceptual pieces on 25 September when Le Printemps de Septembre (printempsdeseptembre. com) kicks into gear. Eglise Saint- Nicolas (Grande Rue Saint-Nicolas) is a jewel of a medieval church with an octagonal bell tower.

Must drink – Head to Le Petit Diable (99 Allée Charles-de-Fitte) for tango and theatre nights.

Shop til you drop – The toy market (Place Roguet), which pops up alongside Saint-Cyprien’s covered food market on Mondays, is a great place to find vintage playthings. You can also pick up prints and old comics in the adjacent paper market.

CITÉ DE L’ESPACE

This is a city within a city – as Epcot is to Orlando.

Culture vultures – The science museum and theme park Cité de l’Espace (Avenue Jean Gonord) is staging a special exhibition this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon.

Must eat – Le Métropolitan (2 Place Auguste Albert, tel. ) does fine dining within 10 minutes of the park at prices that won’t break the bank (at least at lunchtime).

Compiled by Anthea Gerrie