10 of the best free things to do in Toulouse

16.08.2023 - 06:55 / lonelyplanet.com / Art

Closer to Barcelona than it is to Paris, Toulouse’s peach-tiled roofs and long days of sunshine give its historic center a Mediterranean look, but without some of the high prices you might find on the well-heeled Riviera.

That said, some of its famous aerospace museums aren’t cheap to enter, and, as France’s home of foie gras, eating well can eventually add up. Luckily, there are plenty of activities in La Ville Rose (The Pink City) that can be enjoyed free of charge, and we’re here to show you how. 

The grand beginning of so many adventures in the Pink City, the Place du Capitole is a vast square that’s dominated by the neoclassical 128m-long (420ft) facade of the Capitole building (town hall). 

Built around 1750, this masterpiece by Guillaume Cammas is free to enter during the week, and its Salle des Illustres rooms are probably the most ornate and ostentatious in the entire city. Don’t miss the evocative Salle Henri-Martin, a rectangular room filled with large impressionist paintings of local scenes in 19th-century Toulouse, wonderfully brought to life by Martin’s ethereal use of light as the seasons change. 

Planning tip: The building is sometimes used to host weddings and other formal events on the weekends, so try and visit during the week if possible.

Looking for a peaceful escape for a little while? Located in the heart of the Compans-Caffarelli park, the Jardin Japonais was built in 1981 by then-mayor Pierre Baudis following an inspiring trip to Kyoto, where he decided that Toulouse needed something similar for its locals.

With its languid arched bridges and manicured lawns free to explore, there’s plenty of room to unwind, and the shade beneath its green trees might be the city’s finest spot to read a book and listen to the birds sing. Also, look out for the miniature Mount Fuji and the turtles swimming in the pond.

Approach Toulouse’s sublime 17th-century Pont Neuf bridge from its northern side, and you’ll notice an unusual and somewhat devilish sight. Though from a distance the bright red figure sat on one of the bridge’s seven arches may resemble a devil, it’s actually an art installation of a child in a dunce’s cap.

Created by plastic artist James Colomina in 2017, L’Enfant au bonnet d’âne (the child with a dunce cap) is said to represent everyone who has been sidelined, stigmatized or isolated from society.

If you turn off the Place du Capitole onto the rue du Taur, you’ll be confronted with a gently arcing street scene of crooked medieval rooftops and busy pedestrians passing by beneath. Above it all, however, in the far distance rises the pointed-hat bell tower of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.

Reminiscent of Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower, there’s nothing else quite like it in the city, and it