Hotels in Toulouse, France

A little about Toulouse...

Toulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,117,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in France and the fastest growing in Europe. Thales Alenia Space, Europe's largest satellite manufacturer, and EADS Astrium Satellites, EADS's satellite system subsidiary, also have a significant presence in Toulouse. It worldwide known university is one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1229) and, with more than 120,000 students, is the second largest university campus of France after Paris.

Sights: Capitole de Toulouse, housing the Hôtel de Ville, the Théâtre du Capitole (opera house), and the Donjon du Capitole, located on the Place du Capitole
Banks of the Garonne, Bazacle, Jardin des Plantes, Grand-Rond, Jardin Royal, Pont-Neuf, Hôpital de la Grave, featuring a copper dome, Château d'eau, Canal du Midi, Saint-Pierre bridge, Wilson Square,
Matabiau train station, Médiathèque José Cabanis, Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin, Quai Lucien Lombard, and INSA, and Quai Lucien Lombard

Museums:
Museums in Toulouse include: Musée Georges Labit, Musée des Augustins, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Museum of Modern Art, in the former slaughterhouse, Cité de l'espace, Hôtel d'Assézat (Bemberg Foundation), Gœthe Institut, Musée du Vieux Toulouse, Musée de l'Affiche, Musée Départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Musée des Antiques de Toulouse (Musée Saint-Raymond), and Musée Paul Dipesh (Arts appliqués du Moyen Âge à nos jours).

Colleges and Universities: Toulouse has the second-largest student population in France after Paris. Its University is among the oldest in Europe.

The University of Toulouse (Université de Toulouse), established in 1229, is located here (now split into three separate universities). Like the universities in Oxford and Paris, the University of Toulouse was established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Greek philosophers. These writings challenged European ideology - inspiring scientific discoveries and advances in the arts - as society began seeing itself in a new way. These colleges were supported by the Church in hopes to reconcile Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology. Today, Toulouse is the second largest university campus of France after Paris, with more than 120,000 students attending its three universities (Université Toulouse I, Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail (Toulouse II), Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III)) and its engineering schools (INSA Toulouse, SUPAERO, ENSICA, ENAC, ENSEEIHT, ENSIACET, IPSA, INPT, ...).

Toulouse also hosts the Industrial Economics Institute (Institut D'Economie Industrielle, IDEI) that is become one of the best European research centres in economics as well as its associated graduate school (MPSE - Midi Pyrénées Sciences Economiques) that recruits the ablest students from all countries in the European Union and further afield.

The most well known high schools in Toulouse are Lycée Pierre de Fermat and the Ensemble Scolaire Saint Joseph.