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Toulouse is the fourth-largest city in France and lies 60 miles from the Pyrenees and the Spanish border, 90 miles from the Mediterranean coast and 120 miles from the Atlantic coast.
It's a student city, with four Universities and more than 110,000 students.
Toulouse offers a memorable mix of the past and the future. Rich in culture and history, with four cathedrals and many museums, the city is also the home of Space City - a huge interactive aerospace museum, the centrepiece of which is the 55-metre high Ariane 5 rocket.
A must-see is the Arcades Street Gallery, which exhibits works that recount the saga of Toulouse and its inhabitants. Some 29 paintings are hung on the ceiling of the gallery in the Capitole Square, with Raymond Moretti's brush-work giving life to the history of the Pink City and its heroes.
Another highlight is the Church of St Sernin, built in the 11th Century for the benefit of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is the world's largest Romanesque church.
Like all French cities, Toulouse has many excellent restaurants, including Au Pois Gournand on Rue Emile Heybrard.
5 GREAT REASONS TO VISIT TOULOUSE
ONE: Art beneath the city - Explore the Jean-Jaures subway stations containing famous Art works by Swiss Sculptor Felice Varini, Olivier Debré, Franà§ois Morellet and Takis.
TWO: Musee des Abattoirs - The Museum, a former slaughterhouse set on the banks of the Garonne River, is the home of the famous backdrop, Minotaur painted by Picasso in 1936. The museum, whilst exhibiting a vast permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, also hosts interesting temporary exhibitions.
THREE: Cité de l'Espace - Since opening in June 1997, the City of Space presents space in all its forms and has introduced more than one million visitors to the wonder of space travel. It also contains the first Planetarium in the South of France and the Ariane 5, a 55-metre high rocket to delight visitors of all ages.
FOUR: Foie Gras - many may not know this but Toulouse is one of the foie gras capitals of France.
FIVE: Of course...the Heineken Cup Rugby semi-finals, held in one of the finest rugby arenas in the world...Le Stadium de Toulouse..
