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France : Toulouse - February 2010

Country Code: Dial for France

Roses are red, violets are blue, and Toulouse is brimming with both in February as it celebrates the season of romance. The violet is Toulouse’s official emblem, and pervades this sandstone city during the monthlong Fête de la Violette. Look for it in shops, from the candied petals to perfume and liqueur, and gaze upon the natural blossoms in the Place du Capitole. Imogen Faux follows the scent

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).

LES CARMES/ESQUIROL

Punctuated by handsome squares, Toulouse’s bustling, pretty city centre is where you’ll spend most of your time – especially if violets are on your mind.

Sleep soundly – Citadines Toulouse Wilson (8 Boulevard de Strasbourg, tel. , citadines.com, rooms from €100) offers self-catering in a great central location. Alternatively, Hotel des Beaux Arts (1 Place du Pont Neuf, tel. , hoteldes beaux arts.com, rooms from €110) is an elegant base for art fans, perfectly placed between the Fondation Bemberg and St Cyprien just across the river.

Culture vultures – Spend a couple of hours exploring the Capitole (Place du Capitole), Toulouse’s magnificent city hall, whose handsome colonnaded square is the focus of the violet festival. The Hotel d’Assezat (Place d’Assezat) is a splendid 15th-century merchant’s mansion housing the collection of oligarch Georges Bemberg. Mainly Renaissance art, but modern masters Manet and Picasso are also represented.

Must eat – Les Jardins de l’Opera (1 Place du Capitole, tel. ) is the place to enjoy a gastronomic lunch while gazing upon the riotous display of violets outside. Le Vélo Sentimental (12 Boulevard Bonrepos, tel. ), opposite Matabiau station, is a cheerful place that was opened last year by the city’s cycling association – join bike enthusiasts for lunch or a cuppa.

Must drink – Le Florida (12 Place du Capitole) is a wonderful Belle Époque-style cafe in which you can people watch to your heart’s content underneath the arches.

Shop til you drop – The Maison de la Violette (moored on the Canal du Midi opposite 2 Boulevard Bonrepos) will be overrun this month by souvenir-hunters climbing aboard to buy every kind of violet-infused gift imaginable.

ST CYPRIEN

The left bank of Toulouse presents an arty air the minute you cross the Garonne from the town centre. This is a district of disused industrial buildings converted to galleries, and lanes packed with clubs and bars that underpin the city’s nightlife.

Sleep soundly – Hotel St Claire (29 Place Bachelier, tel. , stclairehotel.fr, rooms from €69 for a double including breakfast) is a two-star ‘hotel de charme’, but the special weekend rate quoted here is a four-star bargain.

Culture vultures – Les Abattoirs (76 Allée Charles-de-Fitte), which was once a slaughterhouse but is now the modern art museum, is an appropriate place for the bestiary element of the work of Barcelo, an innovative Mallorcan artist who has an exhibition here until the end of February.

Must eat – Hemicycle (76 Allée Charles-de-Fitte, tel. ), opened on the site of the old Café des Abattoirs, is a salon de thé and a fine place for lunch in the courtyard of the art museum.

Must drink – La Loupiote (39 Rue Réclusane) is a real art-lovers’ hangout that offers painting and photography exhibitions, a monthly movie night and the opportunity for lively discussion with the friendly locals.

Shop til you drop – at the St Cyprien book market; perfect entertainment for Monday, when most museums are closed.

CITÉ DE L’ESPACE

If you’ve always wondered about man’s adventures in outer space, this is the ideal place to start your exploration.

Culture vultures – This triumphal ‘City of Space’ on Avenue Jean Gonord is to Toulouse what Epcot is to Orlando: a city within a city, which incorporates a planetarium, IMAX theatre, thrilling lifesize models of rockets, spacecraft, and indeed a replica of the Mir space station. A thrill for would-be space adventurers of all ages.

Must eat – Aux Secrets du Grand Mere (180 Avenue de St-Exupéry, tel. ) provides a fine introduction to the Gascon specialities for which this area of France is famous.

Compiled by Imogen Faux