Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France after Paris, Marseille and Lyon. It is also the prefecture of the department of the Haute-Garonne in the Midi-Pyrenees region. The name Toulouse in modern-day French derives from the old Occitan name of Tolosa. The City of Toulouse is crossed by both the river Garon and the Canal du Midi.



Toulouse is also known in France as "la ville rose" (the pink town), due to the color of the principal material of construction, pink brick.

Toulouse is situated at 141m above sea level on the banks of the river Garon, with its source in the nearby Pyrenees mountains, which on clear days are easily visible to the south. Its location centrally located in southern France means that Toulouse is subject to both Mediterranean and Oceanic influences, thus it has a temperate climate, mild in autumn and hot and dry in summer.

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!

More than a metropolis, Toulouse is a major technology center specializing in aeronautics, aerospace, telecommunications and medicine. The city is also the European capital of the aerospace industry. Yet she continues to diversify, particularly in the domain of medical research, with the planned "Canceropole". Toulouse is also the next largest university town after 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 home of the French national center for weather prediction. This meteorological center was set up in Toulouse in 1982 and is now responsible for the prediction of weather patterns for the entire country.

Toulouse is also known for violets, which are cultivated there both for the flowers and for their perfume.

Toulouse is also home to a huge quantity of museums and cultural festivals. Indeed Toulouse is known throughout the whole of Europe as a city of many major international festivals. It is thus a major tourist destination. Visitors to the city will find it impossible to avoid coming into contact with major centers such as the Zenith, the Meditheque and the Congress Center. There are also the more recent Museum of Modern Art, known as the Abattoirs (since it was indeed the old city abattoir). Then there is the famous and impressive Cite de l'Espace (Space City). And not to be missed is the incredible Capitole Museum with its impressive Salle des Illustres - a giant room brimming with huge paintings and frescoes.

A particular mention is worth making of the Cite de l'Espace - a huge area just on the periphery of the city which opens up quite literally a whole universe of space, stars and space travel, by means of some creative animations and reconstructions. Take a look inside the Russian space station, Mir, or an Arianne rocket. Then go and view space in the impressive IMAX 3D cinema, not forgetting of course the planetarium, an incredible simulation of the universe.

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.