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Toulouse - Cultural Capital Of South-West France
Toulouse is one of the largest cities in France, only overshadowed by Lyon, Marseille and of course Paris. The city is located in the Department of Haute Garonne and is also administrative center of the Midi-Pyrenees. The name Toulouse derives from the old Occitan name, Tolosa. The city is also remarkable for being traversed not only by the river Garonne, but also the Canal du Midi.
Toulouse is one of the largest cities in France, only overshadowed by Lyon, Marseille and of course Paris. The city is located in the Department of Haute Garonne and is also administrative center of the Midi-Pyrenees. The name Toulouse derives from the old Occitan name, Tolosa. The city is also remarkable for being traversed not only by the river Garonne, but also the Canal du Midi.
The French also have a special name for the city of Toulouse, they call it “la ville rose” (the pink town). And when visiting the city the reason is obvious - most of the buildings are build with a typical local pink brick!
The climate of Toulouse can be considered to be temperate, primarily due to its location mid-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. Its climate is therefore characterised as being warm and dry in summer with relatively mild autumns and winters.
The region is also at the crossroads of three dominant winds: the wind from the west, typically bringing humidity from the Atlantic Ocean; the wind from the south-east, also known as the “Autan”, especially hot and dry; and the wind from the north, less frequent and typically cold and dry. The Autan wind is often called “the wind that makes you mad”, or “the devil’s wind”, since it affects everything with its stormy passage, including the behaviour of humans and animals. It is considered to “annoy”. But indeed days when the Autan wind blows are not considered to be much better, and are not the most auspicious times to meet up with the locals!
Toulouse isn’t just a thriving, bustling city, it’s also a major European center of technology, home to industries including aeronautics, aerospace, medicine and also telecommunications. Indeed Toulouse is considered to be the European capital of the aerospace industry. Yet the city continues to diversify into ever more areas. Much of this is of course due to it being home to a major university, the second largest after that of Paris.
Toulouse is also the proud owner of several major historical and architectural features, the oldest being the Pont-Neuf bridge, and then of course there is the world-famous Canal du Midi, both dating from the seventeenth century. Next, and perhaps most impressive, is the huge Capitole building, built in the eighteenth century. For those interested in industrial history, Toulouse was a major pioneer in aviation, with links to names such as Jean Mermoz and Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The renowned Aerospatiale company set up there in 1927.
Toulouse is also the weather capital of France and is home to the national meteorological center. It was set up in the city in 1982 and since then has been responsible for predicting the weather for the whole of the country.
Another feature of Toulouse, as witnessed by the many little shops found throughout the city, is that it a center for violets. Violets are cultivated around the whole Toulouse region both for the flowers themselves and for their perfume. Violets, violet sweets, violet flowers and violet fragrances abound throughout the city.
With regard to festivals, Toulouse is one of the main centers in Europe, hosting a variety of internationally-known festivals throughout the year, particularly in the musique domain. Yet another reason the city is an important tourist destination. Then there are centers and concert halls such as the Zenith, the Mediatheque and the Congress Center. More recently constructed are the Abattoirs modern art museum and the impressive Cite de l’Espace.
The Cite de l’Espace, located on the outskirts of the city, is a large expense of land dedicated to the exploration of space in all its many manifestations. Here you will find a reconstructed Mir space station, an Arianne rocket and a whole host of satellites and rockets to discover. And one mustn’t forget the very impressive IMAX three-dimensional cinema and planetarium. There is nothing quite so spectacular in the whole of Europe - an incredible family day out or place of study for school children.
As for high culture, there’s lots to be found in Toulouse. Perhaps most impressively, the Capitole Theatre provides a memorable encounter not only with the world-famous Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, but also the impressive Toulouse Opera and ballet companies. The orchestra itself became renowned under the leadership of Michel Plasson, it’s chief conductor for many years, with a wide-ranging repertoire ranging from the Baroque to contemporary performances. Today it is in the capable hands of the young Ossetian conductor Tugan Sokhiev, trained in St Petersburg.