Although I was planning to spend a week hiking and exploring the tiny little mountainous country of Andorra for a week, an opportunity came up to head back to Lisbon for a few days. There is no airport or train station in Andorra - it's just too small - so the only way in or out, without your own car, is to take the bus three hours either south to Barcelona or east to Toulouse. The flights were substantially cheaper to Lisbon from Toulouse, so, completely unplanned, I ended up with a five-hour layover in Toulouse, my first ever visit to the city, and made the most of it by heading into town to see what I could discover.
Toulouse is a major French city in western France, the fourth largest in the country after Paris, Marseille and Lyon. Most of it is walkable on foot and I felt it could easily be seen in half a day. I took the metro from the airport into the city for €1,70 from where I could do all my exploring. Here's what I got up to during my layover in Toulouse:
1. Pont Neuf
Pont Neuf is a well-known stone arched bridge leading straight into the city. Built in 1632, it stretches 722 feet across the Garonne river on which Toulouse sits.
2. Le Capitole
The heart of Toulouse and where the town hall as well as the majority of restaurant and shops are to be found, Le Capitole is a bustling central plaza that is a great place to sit and people watch for a while or hit the shops.
3. Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse
Built in the 11th century, this medieval basilica houses most famously a thorn said to have come from the Crown of Thorns. A quick wander through gives a nice look at the sweeping ceilings.
4. Jardin Japonais Pierre Baudis
A little oasis on the edge of Toulouse, this popular park is home to lots of walking trails, places to sit and playgrounds - the perfect spot for a picnic lunch.
CHECK OUT MY VLOG OF ANDORRA FEATURING TOULOUSE HERE!
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.