Toulouse is located in the province of Haute Gallon in the southern Pyrenees of France. Toulouse is very small, with a population of about 600 thousand and an urban population of about 400 thousand. From Toulouse airport to the city center-City Hall Square is very close, and it takes less than an hour's drive when the traffic is smooth.
Toulouse was built more than 2000 years ago. So the city center is basically a classic masonry structure. If Paris is beige and gray, Toulouse is red. Most of the red buildings in Toulouse are made of red bricks. Except for the church, most houses in Toulouse are built of red bricks.
Toulouse city
Houses in Toulouse are not high, mostly four to five floors. Although the eaves and window bars are not as fancy as those in Paris, they also look elegant and exquisite. The streets here are very narrow. Spider-like alleys divide the city into many triangles, but almost every alley is connected. No matter how you go, you will eventually reach the same place-only such houses and streets are worthy of the quiet life of Toulouse people.
The most unforgettable thing is the Garonne River flowing quietly through Toulouse. On a sunny morning, we sat by the river, breathing fresh air and watching the locals do morning exercises by the river. The ancient bridge on the river and the buildings on the river set off against the blue sky, plus a few ducks that happened to swim over, forming a beautiful and quiet oil painting.
Along the way, when the afterglow of the sunset painted the rosy square brick with a layer of gold, the first day's trip ended on the Garonne River. The next day, you can travel through time and space and visit the Space City. This is both a historic city and a new city, and this contradiction is the source of its vitality. Indulge yourself in it and leave the rest to Toulouse. ...
It is rosy at dawn, lavender at noon and red at dusk. To discover the beauty of Toulouse, you must make some sacrifices: get up early and go to bed late.
The trip started in South Church, Seinsell. This is a masterpiece of Roman art and the largest rectangular church in Europe. Claude Nougaro, a Toulouse poet, shouted: "South Church, Sainsere is like a coral flower watered by the sun, illuminating the whole sky." This square masonry church is a place of pilgrimage for many believers, and its structure embodies the miracle of balance and harmony. Visit here at night and you will find another gesture of the church.
There is Sainsere South Cafe in the square, which is frequented by college students and artists, where you can taste delicious onion soup. Go on, and you will reach Toler Street, where you can see the typical features of old Toulouse. This area is very lively, and there are many university cafes around. You can order a cup of mint tea and slowly experience the unique flavor of the old town with the music of Gainsbourg. Not far away are the city library and Sainsere South Middle School, and the Church of Our Lady of Raytheon, built entirely of square bricks, is famous for its exquisite decoration.
There are too many museums in Toulouse, and only three representative ones are recommended here: Austin Museum (ticket: 2.40 euros), where visitors can wander around the most beautiful monasteries in 14 and 15 century; The Battlefield Museum (address: No.76, Charles Defeytes Road, ticket: 6. 10 Euro) mainly displays modern and contemporary art works, with an exhibition hall area of more than 6,000 square meters, where there are both perennial exhibitions and temporary exhibitions. There are works by Brassay, Cesar, Dubois or Duchamp in the museum. Finally, I would like to recommend Shuibao Photography Exhibition Hall (address: Lacana Square, ticket: 2.50 euros), which is the oldest and most popular photography exhibition hall in Europe.
If Paris represents romance and fashion in France, Toulouse, like other southern cities in France, exudes a natural and quaint atmosphere. For me, it may be more French than Paris-there are vineyards everywhere, and the largest castle in Europe is full of European pastoral scenery.
It took more than an hour to drive from Toulouse to Carcassonne. In fact, this is the capital of another province in southern France, but like Toulouse, it inherits the essence of the free and independent anti-centralization tradition. It is famous for having the largest and most complete castles and wineries in Europe. Carcassonne was also a stop in the 2004 Tour de France.
Passing through a large vineyard, approaching Carcassonne Castle, dark gray walls and towering towers, Carcassonne Castle is more mysterious and awe-inspiring against the backdrop of cloudy days. When I first arrived at the castle, there were not many tourists, standing between two walls, as if I heard the sound of ancient siege defense and killing. It is indeed a place with frequent wars. After being occupied by Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Crusaders for two thousand years, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The castle now has 52 towers and two internal and external walls, which are 3 kilometers long.
The most wonderful thing is that Charlemagne led an army to besiege Carcasson Castle for five years, and the castle had already run out of ammunition and food. At this time, the owner of the castle, Mrs. Carcasson, fed the last grain collected in the city to the only remaining pig and threw it into the city. The pig was thrown to the ground and its stomach burst, revealing undigested grains. The generals of the besieged army mistakenly thought that there were enough reserves in the castle, so they retreated hastily.
Fashion brands Emmaus (No.22 Art Road), Cheretti 188 1 (No.3 St. Anthony Road), Cacharel (No.8 St. Anthony Road) and Max Mara (No.26 St. Anthony Road) all opened stores in St. Anthony Street. Gorgeous tailoring, natural texture and fashionable colors constitute a unique life style. To pursue gorgeous Parisian fashion, you can go to Christine Lacroix's shop (No.26 Baranon Cross Road). Jean paul gaultier Store embodies another concept: classic JPG, jeans, accessories, leather, perfume ... all the design works of this brand can be found here.
Other must-see addresses: Amy and Amaya Azuaga's shop at 22 Galeries Lafayette Street. The former specializes in pullovers, blouses, short skirts and women's clothes, while the latter deals in natural materials and ready-made clothes, both sides of which are equally elegant. In addition, you can also visit Thierry Mugler's shop (No.2 Ostritz Street), where you can buy shoes and decorations in addition to the works of famous designers. The last shop recommended to you is Y 'Syohjiyamamoto (No.24 Art Street).
People who pursue contemporary pleasure and fashion will be interested in going to kenztakada (No.31Galeries Lafayette Street) and Kookai (No.25 Saint Antoine Street and No.6 alsace-lorraine Street) to see the lace plaid suits there. There is also Man go (No.5 Jude Street) in the same style, which is the work of Spanish designers. The store mainly deals in urban women's wear and some decorations and small jewelry.
Addict (No.36 Chegong Road) is a small shop with a strange and avant-garde style. Here we specialize in men's and women's clothing: AntikBatik, Paul jeans, Prada sportswear and so on. If you like concentrated shopping, you might as well go to the Galeries Lafayette shopping mall in the city center. There are Amy and Rhodill in the store, and other famous brands of women's wear can also be bought here. The left bank store of "noble shopping mall" combines tradition with modernity, which embodies another style. It is the oldest of the four "noble shopping centers" in Toulouse.
Finally, let's take a look at Salon Shopping Center (37 Rikai Street or Saint-Auban Square). This mall specializes in high-end women's wear of international brands: PaolaFrani, RolandMouret, BendeLisi, Noriko, etc. The afternoon is coming to an end, so let's end our fashion tour in Dolce (No.30 Thor Street) in the center of the old city. In addition to FrenchConnection, ToitduMonde, AntikBatik, Antoine, Lili and other famous brands, furniture is also sold here, and there is also a teahouse in the store that serves freshly squeezed juice. Is there a better place to go?
Since you are in this area, you can't miss the "Olive Tree" (No.20 Galeries Lafayette Street). This candy chocolate shop is a feature of Toulouse. In the face of these purple sugar-coated snacks, dark chocolate with almond and chocolate with nut, how can you go against your appetite?
Toulouse is also the headquarters of Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer. The A380 aircraft ordered by many countries, including China, will also be assembled in Toulouse factory. But for the city of Gasconi, the sky is not wide enough.
To understand this, you must visit the space city here (open every day except Monday; Opening hours: 9: 00-18: 00; Admission: adult 12 euro, child 9 euro). Visitors can see the huge rocket model in the park from a distance. This is a place to discover, experiment and understand the universe. It consists of three parts: a park, a planetarium and an exhibition hall. The Ariane 5 rocket model in the park is the prototype of Kourou (French Guiana), made in the same size.
The planetarium has many devices designed with 3D programming, including a special Mars exhibition hall. There are seven exhibitions with different themes from the earth to the farthest planet in the exhibition hall, and visitors can have a broader understanding of the universe. After such weightless travel, it will be uncomfortable to return to earth. The space city is very big, so you should visit it for at least a whole afternoon, and you can eat on the spot.