A stroll through the historic and renovated districts of Toulouse

The tour starts at Matabiau station.

(S/E) With your back to the station entrance, cross the Canal du Midi via the new area built over the locks.
Follow Rue Bayard to Boulevard de Strasbourg. Buildings to look out for, and inner courtyards if the entrance porch is open. At the small square, on the right-hand pavement, stands the former building of La Dépêche du Midi, a regional newspaper. At the boulevard, turn right towards the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc.

(1) Cross to the left at the pedestrian crossing towards the riding school and Rue d’Alsace. Follow this for a few metres, turn right onto Rue de Rémusat, and take the first right onto Rue du Périgord. On your right, you’ll see the Bibliothèque de Patrimoine and, a few metres further on, the Carmelite Chapel.

You will arrive at Rue du Taur; turn right towards the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, which can be seen at the end of the street. Walk all the way round the basilica on the right-hand side to reach its main entrance. From the forecourt, you can see the Lycée Saint-Sernin, the former Hôtel du Barry, and the Saint-Raymond Museum.

Walk along the museum wall to Rue Émile Cartailhac and turn left. Cross Place du Peyrou and Rue des Lois, then continue straight ahead into Rue Albert Lautmann. On the right is the Faculty of Law and Political Science.
Further on, cross Place Anatole France and head straight on into Rue Valade. At the top of the street, at number 21, is the Church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux. You’ll arrive at Place Saint-Pierre, facing the bridge.

(2) Follow Quai Lucien Lombard to the left: beautiful views of the Garonne and the left bank. The building façades are the work of Jean-Marie de Saget. On the left, Rue Étroite provides an example of the design of these façades. Continue along the quayside towards the start of Place de la Daurade, with the Église de la Daurade opposite.

(3) Turn left onto Rue Malbec, reach Rue Léon Gambetta and continue left. Pass the Lycée Fermat, formerly the Hôtel de Bernuy. At the corner of the school, turn left onto Rue Joseph Lakanal and head towards the Église des Jacobins.
Retrace your steps towards Rue Gambetta, turn left and follow it to Place du Capitole.

(4) Crossing the square diagonally from right to left, towards Rue Lafayette, allows you to see the façades and the Capitole. At the corner of the building, turn right and follow Rue Lafayette all the way along; it runs alongside the Capitole gardens, crosses Rue Alsace and leads to Square Wilson.

(5) Almost directly opposite, you will see a wide avenue: this is Allées Franklin Roosevelt. Take this road, cross Boulevard Carnot and head up the centre of Allées Jean Jaurès to the Canal du Midi and the statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet.

Cross at the pedestrian crossing, do not cross the bridge but turn left onto the footpath that runs alongside the canal and leads to Matabiau station (S/E).

A tour and exploration of the city, which requires a map of Toulouse for those unfamiliar with the area.
All the streets mentioned have plaques. Your mobile phone may be useful for obtaining information about the various monuments.

The façades of the buildings, the Chapel of the Carmelites, open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 7 pm. The Basilica of Saint-Sernin, the Hôtel du Barry, the Saint-Raymond Museum.
The Church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux, its transept crossing, the monks’ chapel. The Church of La Daurade.
The Jacobins. Inside, see the 28-metre-high pillar known as ‘the palm tree’ and its 22 ribs at the heart; the relics of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The arcades of the Place du Capitole and, beneath the arcades, the 29 paintings depicting key moments in Toulouse’s history.
Place du Capitole: in one corner, the Hôtel du Grand Balcon, made famous by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his novel *Night Flight*.
The Jardin du Capitole (or Square Charles de Gaulle) and its keep. Square Wilson, the pond and Goudouli, the Occitan poet.
Allées Jean Jaurès and, right at the top, the statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet, who designed and built the Canal du Midi.