Issue No. 25

Secret Toulouse
Less than 15 minutes’ walk from the
Capitole brings you to secret Toulouse - the
Carmes and Saint-Étienne districts where
there’s a villagey vibe and most visitors
never venture. This is old Toulouse, the
narrow streets of Carmes are lined with
sumptuous manor houses built by wealthy
merchants from the 16th century onwards
like those in rue Ozenne. Place Sainte
Scarbes is breath-takingly pretty with its ivy
clad mansions and tinkling fountain, and
surrounding it are roads with smart
boutiques, neighbourhood bars and
architecturally stunning buildings.
Saint-Étienne is like the Marais district in
Paris, streets lined with grand houses and
chic stores in the shadow of the majestic,
and massive, Cathedral St. Etienne. Browse
the pretty local shops in rue Bouquières and
peek through the gates of gorgeous private
gardens and mansions behind monumental
doors but you’ll need to take a guided tour
to see more (you can book at the tourist
office)
Practical info
Paris to Toulouse by train takes from 4
hours, 6 minutes.
Tourist office: www.toulouse-visit.com and
UK.France.fr
And Toulouse is also a great base for other
great destinations, Gers is just a short drive
away (see page 8 for more details),
Carcassonne is only 6 miles to the south
east, the Mediterranean is just 100 miles
away and Albi is 50 miles away…