At the heart of the South-West of France, on the banks of the Garonne and the Canal du Midi, the city of Toulouse enjoys an enviable geographical location due to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. Called “the Pink City” because of the color of the brick of the buildings and houses of its old boroughs, Toulouse is the 4th city of France with an urban area of 1.3 million inhabitants. It’s the capital of the Haute-Garonne department and one of the two main cities of the Occitanie.
Toulouse is also a big cultural city. Renowned musical culture, visible thanks to the international fame of the Capitole’s National Orchestra, to the opera and ballets of the Théâtre du Capitole, to the festivals Piano aux Jacobins, Toulouse les Orgues and Rio Loco (world music). Then there are the museums of the Augustins and the Abattoirs that attract many plastic arts aficionados. We should also mention the Marathon des Mots (festival dedicated to reading), the Museum of Natural History, a Cinémathèque, an abundant Saison Photo, a Saison Cinema of nearly 30 festivals throughout the year and around thirty theatres. Toulouse proposes a range of cultural activities of a rare density and diversity.