Pretty in pink... Parisian style without the Gallic shrugs in Toulouse

The Pink City sits on the Garonee River.

At sunset the dipping sun casts a painterly radiance onto the beautiful soft terracotta brickwork, bathing the city of Toulouse in a warm pink glow.

La Ville Rose (The Pink City) is located on the banks of the Garonne River, a wonderfully captivating city which blends its rich history with a thriving contemporary metropolis.

Toulouse is a winding labyrinth of streets permeated with 15th-Century architecture – ornate ironwork balconies on the tall, slender buildings which are topped by gorgeous terracotta tiles. But it wasn’t always this way.

A great fire in 1463 destroyed most of the city, which at that time was mainly constructed of hay-filled timber buildings. The buildings were packed so closely together that the flames leapt from one to the next, destroying everything in its path. King Louis XI of France (rather aptly named Louis the Prudent) offered to finance the rebuild on the condition it was to be done using the reddish-pink terracotta bricks, manufactured from the earth around Toulouse.

Cheaper than stone, less likely to burn than timber, the plan was a sound one and was agreed by the town magistrates – La Ville Rose was born.

In later years the La Ville Rose title would become the city’s unique iconic brand – and the warm glow of the buildings a unique attraction.

But it is not just the architecture, there is also a warmth in the people of this great city, who are friendly, stylish and more welcoming than their Parisian counterparts.

Walking the streets of Toulouse (it is a very walkable city), it feels safe, accessible and relaxed. Just watch out for the many – almost silent – electric bikes and scooters, which zip around the pedestrianised city centre.

There’s a young vibe in Toulouse. Out of a total city population of around 450,000, 120,000 are university students – 20,00 of whom are foreign – making the city feel diverse and vibrant.

As a tourist there’s much to see and do here: music festivals, private mansions and churches to visit, little boutiques selling everything from designer handbags to homegrown violets made into candies, skincare and souvenirs, amazing restaurants, art installations and events, and venues.

One of the most impressive is the Halle De La Machine, a magnificent structure of vast open spaces and soaring ceilings housing interactive magical musical machines. The pièce de résistance is the 15-metre tall mechanical Minotaur made of metal and wood, designed and built by François Delarozière, the Halle creative director, for the city of Toulouse.

François Delarozière, the Halle creative director.

Just this month, this mythological giant – along with a human-scorpion creature named Lilith – roamed the narrow labyrinth of Toulouse in a bold street performance telling the story of Asterion the Minotaur. Imagine living in a third-floor apartment when a gigantic smoke-spewing beast comes into view.

François explained how he loves to mingle with the crowds on the street incognito, witnessing their astonishment and delight.

We are staying at the four-star Mercure hotel, ideally situated in the central Saint George area of the city. Like the people of Toulouse, it is warm and friendly and it boasts a gorgeous contemporary design. It is also perfect for walks to all the city’s main sights. And if walking is what you enjoy, head to the Toulouse Tourist Office at the Square Charles de Gaulle. There you can book a walking tour, where a guide will bring the city to life with their enthusiasm, knowledge and storytelling, creating a memorable interactive experience.

We joined The Gourmet Tour by Alejandro Javaloyas, which takes in several historic sights like La Basilique Saint-Sernin, the Unesco World Heritage site as one of the oldest and largest remaining Romanesque churches in Europe.

At each venue, our tour guide had a fascinating, sometimes gory, story to tell, a delicious treat, or a glass of wine, and all prepared on his little cargo bike.

We visited many wonderful restaurants, like the Molette, 15 minutes’ walk from our hotel and for the first time ever enjoyed stingray in a rich butter sauce (tender and tasty). That was followed by individual mouth-watering caramel and ice cream filled profiteroles – truly scrumptious. Be prepared to gain at least half a kilo during your visit.

We also stopped at the city’s town hall, Le Capitole, where the city’s business is conducted. Amazingly the building is shared by the Toulouse Opera. An impressive neo-classical building, it is adorned with pillars and statues while inside it has beautifully painted frescos from Toulouse’s past. Le Capitole takes up the length of a large open square, which is lined by beautiful restaurants and cafes – a wonderful place to people watch. In all, we enjoyed seven historic stops during four hours of walking and eating.

We also learned about how the blue pastel plant was used to create the colour for dyes (blue didn’t exist before this discovery). This discovery and its exports during the 1500s brought great wealth to the city, continuing for more than 200 years until the introduction of the cheaper indigo from America.

This wealth led to the construction of more than 200 merchants’ private mansions (hotel particuliers), some of which are now owned by the city and can be visited today. A fun fact is that the taller the tower on these mansions, the more wealthy the merchant.

We can’t visit Toulouse, the world capital of aeronautics, without acknowledging the city’s proud aerospace history and the birthplace of Airbus, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The company employs more than 200,000, an important economic contributor for Toulouse, and a fascinating tourist attraction for adults and kids alike.

The history of aviation in Toulouse started in the 1927 with the creation of Aeropostale, initially an aerial postal service. Its pilots, modern-day heroes because of their daring escapades who braved dangerous flights to and from Toulouse to Morocco, Senegal and Brazil, initially delivered mail and paved the way for future air travel.

One of the most famous pilots of the day, Antoine de Saint-Exupery worked here in Toulouse. He was also a poet and author of famous self-illustrated book The Little Prince, the tale of a boy stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. Ironically, de Saint-Exupery disappeared along with his navigator on a flight over the Mediterranean, but to this day he is celebrated for his courage and daring.

Toulouse, the forth largest city in France after Paris, Marseille and Lyon, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and The Atlantic Ocean. A powerhouse of culture, great food, (including Michelin Star restaurants) and aeronautical and scientific genius. So much to do and see, definitely a serious alternative to a Paris weekend. And only a short flight from Edinburgh. Get in the pink and book a break just in time for their Christmas markets.