Minute City Film

	-What's on -Special Offers -Prizes

TOULOUSE
The 4th largest city in France, Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyr�n�es region and is ideally situated in the heart of South-western France, at the crossroads between the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees.

A rich historic heritage
The active, cosmopolitan, enthusiastic city has a rich historic and architectural heritage. When people arrive in Toulouse for the first time, they are surprised by the colour of the city, which has the attractive nickname of �Pink City� due to the sun�s reflections on the local bricks and tiles of which the buildings are made. Visitors are captivated by the charm of its pedestrian streets, prestigious buildings, many squares and caf� terraces. They can admire the city�s main places of interest: the Saint-Sernin Basilica, the Place du Capitole, the ceremonial rooms in the town hall, the many Renaissance mansions�. Many of its museums, guardians of the city�s Roman history or gateways to classical and contemporary art, are splendid examples of Toulouse�s architecture and offer cloisters and gardens where it�s pleasant to take a short break.

A city between earth and sky
Toulouse was a pioneering aeronautics centre and has now become the shop window for French high technology. The launch of the Airbus A380 saw the city crowned as the European aeronautics capital. The tour of the Airbus assembly lines is highly successful. The Cit� de l�Espace, a theme park unique in Europe, offers the whole family an extraordinary and an interactive experience in discovering, experimenting with and understanding the universe.

A city on the water
Toulouse is also a city on the water, with the River Garonne and a number of canals with their bridges and locks. An essential place to visit and a real �green lung� at the heart of Toulouse, listed by UNESCO, the Canal du Midi links since 1681 the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The banks of the Garonne and the Canal du Midi are an ideal place for walkers, joggers and cyclists.

Well known for its gastronomy
Toulouse has a wide range of restaurants offering French, regional and international cuisine, including 5 Michelin-starred restaurants. South-western cuisine is well-known throughout France and combines local flavours with ancestral know-how: dishes based on geese and ducks (confits, magrets, foie gras, g�siers), charcuterie... There�s no shortage of culinary specialities in Toulouse: the famous Toulouse sausage, confectionery made with violets, the �f�n�tra� cake made with almond paste and lemons, and, of course, the well-known �cassoulet�, made only with local ingredients...

An ability to celebrate
A cosmopolitan, student city � Toulouse is home to 100,000 students every year and lives by day and night. Throughout the year the city enjoys a lively cultural life with major cultural events and a whole range of internationally-famous festivals. From its proximity to Spain it has developed a taste for long, festive evenings. Major events, concerts, rugby matches, or simply a desire to have fun� anything is an excuse for getting together and enjoying the pleasures of the city late into the night.

WHAT�S ON�

Festival Rio Loco, Toulouse d�Et� Festival
2009 - from June 17 to 21
After the Balkans, which attracted over 180,000 festival-goers to Toulouse in 2008, the Rio Loco festival - a festival of world music , invites you in June 2009 to take a journey through the Central Maghreb, taking in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
The festive, popular Rio Loco festival will reveal all the richness and creativity of this culture with outdoor concerts, children's entertainment, midnight cinema, visual arts, gastronomy and crafts at the Prairie des Filtres, on the banks of the Garonne.
Ra�, ch��bi, gnawa and Arab-Andalusian music, along with rock, jazz, hip-hop and electro. Between tradition and modernity, great names and young talents reveal an unexpected facet of the Maghreb.
The Maghreb culture will also be taking up residence all over town with exhibitions, concerts, readings and film showings.
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com/entertainment-and-events-rio-loco,856,34

Festival Toulouse d'�t� - summer Toulouse festival
2009 - Mid-July to mid-August
Toulouse d'�t� "Chaud les musiques" is made for enchanting summer nights and gets in the rhythm. From July to August, Toulouse Council offers anyone who takes the time an opportunity to be a spectator in a sublime combination of the architectural splendour of the city's monuments and the harmony of sound.
"Chaud les musiques" adds a touch of crazyness to the night and gives the people of Toulouse a chance to share the stage with their guests. Young talents invite their elders and artists from all over the world to join the dance and share the excitement of jazz, rock, electro music, new traditional music, waltz and tango.
Over a period of a month, 400 artists from every musical horizon will take turns to perform, all sharing the same desire to share their love of harmony.
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com/entertainment-and-events-toulouse-d-ete,8519,34

SPECIAL OFFERS

Take a weekend in Toulouse to discover the magic of organ music
Until October 2009
3 days / 2 nights, 2* hotel for 2 adults from 113 euros per person

Package includes :
- 2 nights in a 2 star hotel with breakfast.
- 2 "Toulouse en libert�" advantage cards.
This card offers numerous discounts in the city's museums, for the festivals, for Airbus visits, guided tours of Toulouse, shopping, or cruises on the Garonne In addition, it entitles you to a free aperitif in a hundred participating restaurants. This card is issued in a single name and is valid for 1 year. So you can come back to Toulouse, and still benefit from everything the advantage card has to offer.
- Entries to shows or fringe events.
- A travel pack.

Not included : Transport, meals and any other personal expenses

Let yourself be tempted by the "Toulouse Festivals" short breaks during "Toulouse International Organs Festival�!
The city has a rich and varied organ heritage, including many different styles of instruments from all periods of history. The exceptional numbers of organs in the city (30, 9 of which are classified historical monuments) mean that all kinds of music can be played. More than 80 musical events will be on the agenda placing the king of musical instruments alongside choirs and orchestras as well as combining music with other cultural disciplines.

This Toulouse Festival offer combines immersion in the festival atmosphere with a low-cost exploration of Toulouse, and accommodation in the heart of the Ville Rose (from 1 to 4 nights in a 2 to 4 star hotel with breakfast).

Toulouse Tourist Office
Square du g�n�ral Charles de Gaulle - BP 38001
31080 Toulouse Cedex 6
France
Tel : +33 (0)5 61 11 02 22
Fax : +33 (0)5 61 23 74 97
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com

2/ By air (direct flights) :
- Dublin with Aer Lingus
- Belfast, Edimbourg and Leeds-Bradford with Jet2.com
- Bristol, London-Gatwick with EasyJet
- London-Gatwick with Bristish Airways
- Birmingham with Flybe
- Manchester with BMI Baby (from march 2009)
The Toulouse-Blagnac international airport is only 8 km west of the city.

By rail:
- Toulouse / Paris : 5 h (5 TGV per day)
- Toulouse / Montpellier : 2 h
- Toulouse / Bordeaux : 2 h
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com/access-and-maps

Short break in Toulouse on the theme of world music
2009 - from June 17 to 21

3 days / 2 nights, 2* hotel for 2 adults from 113 euros per person

Package includes:
- 2 nights in a 2 star hotel with breakfast.
- 2 "Toulouse en libert�" advantage cards.
This card offers numerous discounts in the city's museums, for the festivals, for Airbus visits, guided tours of Toulouse, shopping, or cruises on the Garonne In addition, it entitles you to a free aperitif in a hundred participating restaurants. This card is issued in a single name and is valid for 1 year. So you can come back to Toulouse, and still benefit from everything the advantage card has to offer.
- Entries to shows or fringe events.
- A travel pack.

Not included : Transport, meals and any other personal expenses

Let yourself be tempted by the "Toulouse Festivals" short breaks during the Rio Loco festival! After the Balkans, which attracted over 180,000 festival-goers to Toulouse in 2008, Rio Loco - a festival of world music, invites you in June 2009 to take a journey through the Central Maghreb, taking in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
The festive, popular Rio Loco festival will reveal all the richness and creativity of this culture with outdoor concerts, children's...

This Toulouse Festival offer combines immersion in the festival atmosphere with a low-cost exploration of Toulouse, and accommodation in the heart of the Ville Rose (from 1 to 4 nights in a 2 to 4 star hotel with breakfast).

Toulouse Tourist Office
Square du g�n�ral Charles de Gaulle - BP 38001
31080 Toulouse Cedex 6
France
Tel : +33 (0)5 61 11 02 22
Fax : +33 (0)5 61 23 74 97
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com
www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com/weekends-and-short-breaks

For more information about Toulouse, click here.