Toulouse, “La Ville Rose”

Toulouse is best known for producing the Airbus but there is much more in the city that attracts senior visitors from all over the world. With a population of just over one million there is much for seniors to see and do in Toulouse. Lying along the banks of the Garonne River it is a beautiful setting… 150 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea and 300 from the Atlantic Ocean.

A city with typical architecture of southern France, Toulouse has two historic sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Canal Du Midi (shared with other cities) and the Basilica of St. Sernin. The massive town hall of Toulouse closely resembles Buckingham Palace. With over 2,000 years of history, modern-day Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city.

 The Stade Toulousain, Toulouse’s rugby team, is a symbol of the city, and it holds an impressive record. Check out some of the 75 suggested activities for things to see and do in Toulouse. Toulouse is one of the most alternative French cities – maybe due to its huge student population (120,000).

Toulouse has become a center of aviation and spaceflight in the past 20 years. More than 35,000 of the inner city’s 400,000 citizens work in the civil aviation or space industries; Airbus/EADS is the largest employer in the region.  Seniors visitors might enjoy a tour of the Airbus production plant. The city has remained relatively unchanged despite the economic boom.

Seniors Historians, Bicyclers and Gourmands

The city, on the Garonne river, is on the site of an ancient Roman settlement; even today many of the smaller streets follow their Roman counterparts and many of the red brick buildings are a pseudo-Roman style. These buildings are what gives Toulouse its nickname ‘La Ville Rose’ (the pink city – named after the pink bricks used in constructing the homes).

So bikers, rent a bicycle from any one of the 253 VeloToulouse bike stations for 1.20 Euros a day. Wikitravel will not only get you there, but makes suggestions on how to take in the sites. Toulouse is a big city, but the historical center (downtown) is quite small, so you’ll find that you can walk to most destinations in the inner city quite comfortably.

For you senior gourmet (or gourmands) the gastronomy here is outstanding with dishes such as foie gras, cassoulet, duck breast, Toulouse sausage and a host of fine wines from the region (Fronton, Gaillac, Armagnac) and Roquefort cheese.  Are you familiar with cassoulet? It’s delicious. As the French say – “Miam Miam!” Have you tasted Armagnac? It’s a distillate from wine usually made from a blend of grapes, and it’s spirits are pretty “hefty.”

I don’t generally plug one person’s thoughts on a city, but Tiffany Kim’s travel blog provides some great insights on Toulouse that I think senior travelers will find interesting and informative.

Enjoy your time exploring the city of Toulouse. jeb