Located in the south of France, Toulouse is often overlooked as a tourist destination.

Instead many choose Marseille or Aix-en-Provence, but that is exactly the reason to go!

There is a wealth of culture and history, and most importantly a local population that is friendly and welcoming. If you’re shocked here are 10 other facts about Toulouse that will surprise you:

1. Toulouse is 2000 years old. Originally a small settlement of Celts arrived in the Garonne Valley and in year 2AD Romans also settled in Toulouse.

2. Toulouse is beautiful and is known as the “Pink City” because most buildings in the city used pale coloured bricks. It’s a great city to wander and look at the architecture. The very photogenic city hall is very similar to Buckingham Palace in London, England.

3. Toulouse is a large modern, city. While Toulouse is known for art, history and culture. Today it is the fourth largest city in France, partly because of the aerospace industry.

It’s also the largest centre for aerospace in all of Europe as the home of the European Airbus headquarters and the French space agency. If you’re a space buff don’t miss The Cite de l’Espace (the City of Space).

Avenue Jean Gonord, 31500 Toulouse

http://www.cite-espace.com/

4. Toulouse is a city that feels like a village. Although it is a large city in France, the downtown core has been well preserved and not urban like other large cities. It is surprisingly pedestrian friendly. You can easily walk to most locations in the city centre.

5. Toulouse is known for its rich culinary culture. This is a city to eat French country cuisine. When in Toulouse look for classic French cassoulet, duck confit and the Toulouse sausage.

6. Toulouse has kept its strong artistic heritage. One of the most popular attractions, Les Abbattoirs, is not a slaughterhouse – well not anymore. It has been restored and is now an incredible museum of modern art with over 2,300 pieces of work.

76 Allées Charles de Fitte, 31300 Toulouse

http://www.lesabattoirs.org/en

7. Toulouse is great for wanderers. Louis XIV built the Canal du Midi in 1667 as a short cut from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean in 1667. Today the 240km stretch of canals is a UNESCO World Heritage site that you can walk and bike.

8. Locals in Toulouse love rugby. Stade Toulousain is home to the beloved “Les Rouges at Noirs.” It is unlikely that you will find tickets to the sold out games as but the next best thing is watching a match with locals in a nearby bar.

9. You can find Japanese culture in Toulouse. There are Japanese Gardens in Toulouse. The Jardin Japonais is a free botanical garden complete with a koi pond, stone garden and tea pavilion.

9 Boulevard Lascrosses Toulouse, France

toulouse-tourisme.com

10. Although Toulouse is home to many engineers who work in aerospace, the culture is distinctly laid back. Compared to Paris, the people are friendlier, things are cheaper and the climate is warmer.