Discovery walk of Toulouse, the Jacobins, the Capitole, Bazacle site

A walk to discover the city of Toulouse and its main monuments.

The proposed walk allows you to discover the main emblematic places of the city of Toulouse (Capitole, Garonne river bank, the conventual complex of the Jacobins...). It starts on the Place du Capitole which is very easy to access by public transport.

Interest: ratinggood (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 3 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The Capitole

2
The Capitole
The Capitol now houses the city hall and the Capitol Theater. This is the beginning of the walk. There is a metro station right next to it.

Entrance of Pope Urban II in Toulouse - Benjamin Constant

2
Entrance of Pope Urban II in Toulouse - Benjamin Constant
You can visit the Salle des Illustres inside the Capitol. This room was designed to celebrate the city of Toulouse. You can see a fresco by B. Constant which represents the bishop of Rome who came to consecrate Count Raimond as one of the four leaders of the First Crusade. See also the painting of the beautiful Paule who was obliged to show herself twice a week in public so that people could admire her exceptional beauty.

Frescoes around the Capitol

1
Frescoes around the Capitol
Around the place du Capitole you can see frescoes that retrace the history of Toulouse. It is necessary to raise the eyes, many people must pass without seeing them.

Church of Taur

2
Church of Taur
In the middle of the third century, Saturninus, preaching the Gospel, was arrested by the Roman governor who ordered him to sacrifice a bull to Jupiter. When he refused, the governor had him tied to the animal, which was dragged through the streets. When the body broke away from the animal, two women buried it at the place where it fell. Later, the church of Taur was built on this site.

Rue du Taur

1
Rue du Taur
The rue du Taur goes from the place du Capitole to the Saint Sernin basilica. It is a typical small street of Toulouse.

The Saint Sernin basilica

2
The Saint Sernin basilica
The Basilica of Saint Sernin has an octagonal bell tower with a height of 65 meters. The church was built by the bishop to house the relics of Saturnin (now Saint Sernin) which were previously in the church of Taur.

The EDF power plant in Bazacle

1
The EDF power plant in Bazacle
You can visit the EDF installations for free on the Bazacle site. A dam is installed on the Garonne and allows to produce electricity. You can also see the fish passing through the fish pass which allows to go up the dam. Very beautiful sight on the Garonne.

The Brienne Canal

2
The Brienne Canal
The Brienne canal is very short (2 kms), it connects the Garonne to the Canal du Midi, it is certainly the most beautiful canal of Toulouse. A little further on you will find the end of the Canal du Midi which comes from the Mediterranean and the beginning of the Canal latéral à la Garonne which goes to the Atlantic coast.

Quai de la Daurade

Quai de la Daurade
The port of La Daurade was a place of intense economic activity where goods were unloaded. On the picture (below) you can see a small temple-like building, it was a place where unidentified drowned people from the Garonne were exposed. In the past few people knew how to swim and there were many fatal accidents in the Garonne.

View on the Pont Neuf

1
View on the Pont Neuf
As in Paris, the Pont Neuf bears its name badly because it was built between 1544 and 1632. In 1875 during a flood three other bridges gave way but it resisted. Until the XVIIIth century, thousands of spectators came to attend a punishment reserved for the blasphemer, it consisted in plunging the condemned, locked in a cage, 3 times in the river from the bridge.

The Jacobins' palm grove

2
The Jacobins' palm grove
The Dominican order was founded in Toulouse in 1216 at the time of the religious troubles linked to catharism. The convent of the Jacobins contains the remains of one of the most famous Dominicans: Saint Thomas Aquinas. You must admire the palm grove of the Jacobins where 22 ribs are spread around a single column. Moreover, the entrance is free. It is the most beautiful monument of Toulouse.

The Capitol dungeon

The Capitol dungeon
The Capitol dungeon is located in the small park behind the Capitol, where the tourist office is located today. In the past it housed the city archives.

Le jardin Raymond VI

If you have time you can visit this charming little garden which certainly offers one of the most beautiful views of Toulouse and the Garonne.

🛑 Other walks