Toulouse Blagnac Tourist Activities

Toulouse Airport, with the official code of TLS, is located in southern France, just 5 km from the city of Toulouse. It is also nearby Blagnac, and is therefore commonly known as Toulouse Blagnac Airport. Toulouse Airport serves the Midi-Pyrénées region of France, and handles approximately 9 million passengers per year. The airport is also nearby Montauban, Bordeaux and Montpellier. The city of Toulouse offers numerous attractions, and has everything from impressive architecture to the World War II Museum. There are also Roman ruins, and one of its most popular attractions, the Aerospace Museum. This city in France is extremely diverse, and has something to offer all its visitors.

The city of Toulouse is quite famous for its canals, which include the Garonne and the Canal du Midi, which is actually the oldest canal in Europe still in use. The Canal du Midi was built during the time of Louis XIV, and shows some remarkable pieces of work, which many visitors find very appealing. The planning of Toulouse has been highly influenced by its canals, and the reality of flooding, which has occurred within the city numerous times over the years. Bridges and roads have needed to be re-built, and this has resulted in the radiant vision of the quays that are popular today. Since 1943, the quays have been protected sites. Canal cruises are the best way to enjoy this fascinating aspect of Toulouse, and are available at most times throughout the year.

Two of the most popular attractions in Toulouse are the Toulouse Capitole and the La Cité de l’Espace, or the Aerospace Museum. The Le Capitole is a very large and impressive building which is very hard to miss in the city. It is located at Place de Capitole, and is now the home of the Town Hall and the Théâtre National du Capitole. This building is popular for its eight pink marble columns and its interesting façade. The La Capitole can be viewed inside, and features the ‘Salle des Illustres’, inspired by the Galleria Farnese in Rome, as well as the rooms of Jean-Paul Laurens, Henri Martin and Paul Gervais.

The La Cité de l’Espace is by far one of the most popular attractions in Toulouse, in particular among the younger generation. The museum features two auditoriums, which are equipped with the best sound and image technology. One of these is the ‘IMAX’ cinema, and the other is the Planetarium, complete with a circular screen and astronomic simulator. Within the rooms visitors can really emerge themselves in space, rather than simply be just spectators. Besides the cinemas, over 250 exhibits, many of which are interactive, can be enjoyed. There are also some magnificent life-sized spacecraft to explore, such as the Soyuz 1st generation spacecraft, and a 53-meter high Ariane 5 rocket. Anther popular aspect is an exact replica of Mir, a famous space station where many Russian astronauts gained their knowledge of space travel.

The La Cité de l’Espace caters for all ages, ranging from adults to even very young children, ensuring a fantastic experience for the whole family. The littler ones are entertained with a magical space story about the stars and constellations in the Stellarium, while slightly older children can become space heroes in the newest addition to the museum, known as the Base des enfants, or children’s base. There is a special play area centered around space attractions which is thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. This area is called the Small Astronaut’s Square. From the ages of around seven and up, children can test out the new ‘Gyro-Extrême’. This machine is actually used to test the physical capabilities of the astronaut, and temporarily disturbs your sense of direction, putting you upside down. An excellent sense of direction is one of the qualities of a brilliant astronaut, therefore this machine was invented to determine the ability of the astronaut to ‘find his way’. The little machine at the museum is not dangerous for the use of children. Further information about this Toulouse attraction is available at http://www.cite-espace.com, and the location of the museum itself is at Parc de la Plaine, Avenue Jean Gonord.

A number of other fascinating museums are available for viewing in Toulouse, and include the Augustins Museum, the Toulouse Museum, the Museum gardens, the Old Toulouse Museum and the History of Medicine Museum. The Old Toulouse Museum is all about the city’s history, and is located in a old town mansion, while the Toulouse Museum depicts the natural history of the area. A great skeleton of a quetzalcoatlus is on display, which is the largest known flying reptile, with a wingspan of over twelve meters. Thousands of other interesting pieces are found within the huge 3,000 square meter building, and the museum also features a botanical garden, which offers insight to plant life in relation to animal existence. Other museums in Toulouse include the Saint-Raymond Museum and the Compagnons Museum.

Key monuments in the city of Toulouse include the Saint-Etienne cathedral, featuring stained glass, paintings and a large rose window, the Saint-Sernin Basilica, which is a Romanesque building, and the Carmelite chapel, built in the 16th century.

Besides the usual ways of exploring a city in France, Toulouse visitors can enjoy the services of the ‘Touristic Train’, as well as Tourist Taxis. The little train will take you to all the main attractions in no time, and arrives and departs from rue Lafayette, in front of the post office. Tourist Taxis have specially trained drivers, and can be hired for varying lengths of time. This is an ideal way to explore Toulouse if you have little time to spare. Further information about the train is found at http://www.petittraintoulouse.com, and the individual taxi companies of Capitole Taxi, Taxi Radio Toulousain, Allo Taxis Toulouse an La Toulousaine De Taxis can be contacted directly for more information.

Toulouse Blagnac Airport is the perfect arrival point for passengers coming to visit all of these exceptional attractions, and is also a popular arrival point for business passengers coming to work in Toulouse. The airport has an official website, at http://www.toulouse.aeroport.fr.