Secret Toulouse Less

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…