Toulouse

Ideally situated in the heart of Southern France, between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, the cosmopolitan and enthusiastic city of Toulouse is a delight to discover. Toulouse is often known as Ville Rose - the "Pink City" - due to its red-brick buildings, which seem to subtly change colour throughout the day. Toulouse was once a city that inspired medieval poets; today it has become a pioneering centre of technology and aerospace development. Toulouse is now home to Aérospatiale, the national Space Centre, the European shuttle programme, a selection of leading aeronautical schools, and a ground-breaking electronics industry.

Through all its many faces, Toulouse hangs on to a resolutely old-fashioned French soul, with its markets, regional cuisine and cafés interspersed between second-hand book stalls and antique shops. France's fourth biggest city has a lot to offer, and a stroll along the Garonne and the Canal du Midi is a perfect way to spend the day.