Standing on either side of the Garonne river, Toulouse's historical treasures include a well preserved Roman Amphitheatre and the striking Saint-Sernin Basilica, which dates back to 1050. Modern day Toulouse is closely associated with aviation and the Hotel du Grand Balcon was the home-away-from-home for many famous Aeropostale pilots, a pioneering French aviation cmpany. Inside the hotel is a small exhibition dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's literary creation, Le Petit Prince. Planemaking giant Airbus has a large base just outside Toulouse and tours of the production line for the new A380, or super jumbo, can be easily booked. Visitors who like to dream even bigger can check out the home of European space exploration at Cite de l'Espace.

Art lovers should keep their eyes peeled for decadent works of graffiti around town, whereas more traditional paintings can be found in the Abbatoirs Museum and the Augustins Monastery. No trip to Toulouse would be complete without sampling the local gastronomic specialities of Toulouse sausage and cassoulet, a bean and pork stew that can be sampled in many restaurants.