Toulouse is the university city par excellence in France and that makes ita great place to go out in at night. Toulouse is one of the cities where the night is youngest, busiest, most active and most frenetic. Here is a list of 10 best places for experiencing the night life in Toulouse.

Place de St. Pierre:

This square is the starting point for countless students on a night out. It is located next to the River Garonne and here is where you will find many bars for a few beers before starting the night and a number of discos for ending it. Whether on the banks of the river or on the lawn area, seeing a group of students who have brought their own drinks with them is not an uncommon sight.

Le Bar Basque: this is a popular bar among young people and among all fans of rugby. It has two rooms and closes at 02:00, except on Saturdays when it closes at 05:00. There is a great atmosphere and a wide selection of beers and spirits.

Le Saint des Seins: A concert hall and disco. Good concerts by indie bands from Europe and America and good music until 02:00 on weekdays and 04:00 at weekends. A young vibe and a terrace for smokers.

Rue Gabriel Peri:

This is the area around the Jean Jaures metro station, famous among Erasmus university students and with an excellent atmosphere at night.

Café Populaire: This Toulouse café is famous among Erasmus students for being very cheap, especially on Mondays when practically the entire university crowd gathers here for a good time.

La Maison: This is a perfect bar for chatting with friends while enjoying a beer, wine or anything else. Low lighting, relaxed conversation and an atmosphere that dodges the frenetic vibe of the university city.

Le Purple: the most fashionable disco in the area. The place is always full but the decoration and numerous settees make this almost essential stop off for any night out in Toulouse.

Centre of Toulouse:

Le Rex: An authentic cabaret in Toulouse. Le Rex offers a variety of shows with singers, dancers, comedians and even drag artists. If you want to re-live the days of Sylvie Varthan and the French cabaret shows, this is the place for you.

Canals:

There is a wide selection of bars and discos to be found on the boats moored along the canals.

Le Cri de la Mouette: On Allee de Barcelone (Canal de Brienne), with concerts almost every night and music afterwards at weekends until 5 in the morning.

Le Love Boat: A disco boat located at 56 Port Saint Sauveur.

Outskirts:
The university area par excellence. If you are looking for places where you can dance until sunrise with students from all over the world, you should definitely check out the places we suggest below.

Le Bikini: You will find this place in the outskirts, to the south-east of Toulouse, and it is particularly recommendable on Thursday nights.

Le Ramier: Located on an island in the River Garonne, near the Palais de Justice metro station, Le Ramier is another of the large discos and concert halls in Toulouse.

Image: Le Purple

A great idea for a night out with friends! Check out our flights here and join in!

Bayonne, capital of the French Basque Country, is one of the most surprising cities in the new French region of Aquitaine-Lemosín-Poitou-Charentes. Basque from head to toe, this city located at the confluence of the rivers Nive and Adour is well worth strolling through, as you will discover buildings that stand out for their colourful facades and traditional half-timbering. This reveals the Basque influence and indeed Bayonne is part of the historical territory of Labourd – Lapurdi, in Basque. One of the most widely visited spots in the city is the Basque Museum, which features one of the most important ethnographic collections in southern France. Their culture is present in some local businesses, such as the shops selling typical Basque fabric, in such sports as pelota – very popular among the Bayonnais – and in the language, as French and Basque coexist in Bayonne.

Bayonne, in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, has long been unjustly upstaged by the thermal baths and glitter of neighbouring Biarritz, located less than 10 kilometres away. The historic centre of this locality in Aquitaine is made up of three quarters – Grand Bayonne, Petit Bayonne and Saint-Esprit. Prominent in the first of these is the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie de Bayonne, with its wonderful 13th-century cloister, the Château-Vieux (Old Castle), built in the 12th century by the Viscounts of Lapurdi, and the Spanish Gate, which the old main road leading to the border once passed through. In the Grand Bayonne you can also make out the three walls that encircled the city in former times – one, of Roman origin, a second from the period of King Francis I (early 16th century) and the last one designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban in the second half of the 17th century.

Petit Bayonne, for its part, is a secluded quarter presided over by the Château-Neuf (New Castle), built by Charles IV in the 15th century. Sited in this area is the aforementioned Basque Museum, on the Nive riverbank, housed in a 16th-century palace known as the Maison Dagourette. Inaugurated in 1922, it is a veritable ethnographic gem, boasting displays ranging from traditional burial sites to houses, furniture and craftwork. Lastly, on the far side of the river lies Saint-Esprit, with the citadel and train station as its major landmarks. That is where Spanish and Portuguese immigrant Jews lived after fleeing from the Inquisition.

Gastronomy in Bayonne

Bayonne market is an ideal place for trying the city’s typical dishes, like the tasty Gâteau Basque,in addition to cured ham, accompanied by peppers from the neighbouring town of Espelette, and chocolate, brought here by the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula who settled in Bayonne. Apart from the market, one of the streets treasured by lovers of the cocoa derivative is Rue Port Neuf,home to a number of craft workshops such as L’Atelier du Chocolat, where a delightful spicy chocolate is made, and Chocolats Cazenave, an establishment which has been running for one and a half centuries and counts among its specialities water-based chocolate and mousse.

Bayonne Mini-Guide

Sleep at…

The Hôtel & Restaurant Les Basses Pyrénées, a central hotel located just a few minutes from the Cathedral and Spanish Gate.

For a meal, be sure to visit…

La Karafe (25, Quai Jaureguiberry), with typicalpinchosand sausage.

Brasserie du Trinquet (4, Rue du Jeu de Paume), sited next to a court where Basque pelota is played on Thursdays.

You can shop at…

Tissage de Luz (3, rue Port de Castets) who sell tablecloths, bags and bedclothes bearing the typical Basque hallmark, as well as other more modern types in bright colours.

The airport of San Sebastián lies 40 kilometres from Bayonne. Book your Vueling here and discover it for yourself!

Text by Tus Destinos

Images by B. BLOCH - CRTA y tuvemafoto-OT Bayonne 

Tenerife as a destination has options for a variety of holidays in an enviable climate. Its 22°C mean annual temperature, which virtually blurs the borderline between summer and winter, is one of its major assets, but not its only one. Another is its scenery and natural surroundings, ranging from dense laurel forest (similar to the vegetation that covered Europe in the Tertiary Age, some 20 million years ago) to beaches, coves, charcos (natural pools) and – why not? – the Teide National Park.

Tenerife No Limits – Land Sports

Healthy lifestyles have caught on in recent times and Tenerife has acquired added value as a holiday resort also offering outdoor sport and activities. Indeed, Tenerife is practically one huge outdoor gym, open 365 days a year. Its climate, landscapes and natural setting makes it a veritable paradise for both professional and amateur sportspeople. In hardly half an hour you can go from working out at sea level to doing so at an altitude of 2,000 metres. Following is a rundown of some of the many possibilities for doing land sports and other activities in natural surroundings, apart from those in the sea or air:

Hiking. The island boasts some 1,500 kilometres of walking trails, both official ones and those pending approval. They traverse Tenerife’s 43 protected natural spaces, accounting for almost half (48%) the island’s surface area. Each trail is unique, distinct from the next. One of the most striking is the Gran Recorrido 131 (part of the E-7 long-distance footpath), which comes from the European continent and crosses the island from north to south, a route stretching 83 kilometres that runs through all kinds of landscape, including Mt Teide.

Caving. The island features Europe’s largest volcanic pipe, known as the Wind Cave. It is 27,000 years old and 17 kilometres long, if we add up the tunnels at all levels. The tour lasts about two hours and immerses the visitor in a fascinating, dark and mysterious realm.

Climbing. Tenerife is also a paradise for rock climbers, with its myriad volcanic rock faces to be scaled. There are options for everyone, from beginners to experts.

Mountain biking. Lovers of this sport can enjoy some 200 kilometres of bike trails crossing the island. Most of these paths run across the heights of Tenerife, but set primarily in the Corona Forestal Nature Park. This is a comprehensive network of trails, many of which have parking areas, transport and services at their start and finish.

Cycling. The island is covered by a broad road network in very good condition. Many of the roads go though areas with little traffic, well suited to cycling. You can cycle at altitudes of up to 2,000 metres, at the foot of Mt Teide, or at sea level. Hundreds of world-class cyclists come to Tenerife to train for such races as the Tour de France, the world championships and even the Olympic Games.

Tennis and paddle tennis. Over eleven sports complexes are available to enthusiasts of the racket and paddle on all types of surface – clay court, Plexicushion and synthetic. There are also ample facilities for playing pelota and squash.

Golf. Eight top-notch golf courses, designed by golfers of the calibre of Severiano Ballesteros and Dave Thomas, make this island one of the destinations to seriously consider for playing this sport.

Accessible sport. Here, too, there are facilities for playing accessible sport. The island is one of the training centres for local, national and international Paralympics, featuring such complexes as Tenerife Top Training.

If you’d like further information on all these sports and activities, or on accommodation and specialised schools and companies, check out the offerings at Tenerife No Limits.

And, to discover the island first-hand, you have to see it for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Text and images by Turismo de Tenerife

Set in the middle of a triangle comprising the cities of Toulouse, Montpellier and Barcelona is this spectacular walled city, a captivating sight for all who visit it. Fittingly, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. It is one of the leading tourist magnets in the Languedoc region and the whole of France, attracting around 4 million visitors each year. Here are the reasons why Carcassonne has become a must-visit destination.

Important Strategic Enclave

The city’s strategic location, set as it is on a hillside overlooking the Aude river valley, made it the perfect vantage point for surveilling such important routes as the one linking the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe, and the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Thus, Carcassonne became a key city for centuries. In Roman times it was already an important trading post and was coveted by Gauls, Romans – who built the first walled fortifications – Visigoths and Moors, until it ended up becoming a French royal army garrison.

A Walk Through the Cité

Vestiges of that illustrious past as a strategic bulwark can be seen in the upper city of Carcassonne, now known as the Cité, site of the old walled fortifications. Sightseers touring the interior of this huge walled precinct are immediately transported to a bygone era. The Cité is fortified by two concentric walls – the innermost ring was erected in the times of the Gauls, Romans and Visigoths, while the outer, far sturdier ring with four towers was added from the 13th century onwards. Once inside, visitors are encouraged to stroll through the city streets and soak up the medieval atmosphere that pervades the complex. The major landmarks here are the Château Comtal (Castle of the Counts), in the west of the fortified city and attached to the wall, and the Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Nazaire. Be sure to also visit the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge) which crosses the Canal du Midi and links the Cité to the lower part of Carcassonne.

Some Extras On the Way

The counterpoint to this journey into the past, which takes you through the streets of medieval Carcassonne, finds its ideal complement in a culinary break in one of the restaurants you will come across on your tour. Treat yourself to a good glass of wine, preferably Corbieres, the local Designation of Origin, accompanied by duck confit or cassoulet (a local bean stew). The best way to round off your visit to this city.

Viollet-le-Duc – The Other Great Protagonist of Carcassonne

Much of Carcassonne’s appeal revolves around the figure of French architect, archaeologist and writer, Viollet-le-Duc and the “restoration”, as unique as it was controversial, which he carried out on the Cité in the mid-19th century. The fact is that, following the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659,  the fortified precinct of Carcassonne was abandoned altogether and gradually deteriorated with the implacable passage of time. Indeed, it was so derelict that some voices called for its wholesale destruction. However, by popular request, it was earmarked for refurbishment, a task which was commissioned to one of the leading figures of the moment, Viollet-le-Duc.

Rather than what would now be considered a refurbishment, visitors currently find themselves before a full-blown reconstruction of the old city, including the odd flourish of a Romantic bent added by Viollet-le-Duc himself. He actually applied what was very much in vogue in restoration work at the time, although his endeavours have subsequently drawn considerable criticism from the experts. However, the result admittedly hangs together rather well and achieves the effect of immersing the visitor in a medieval past which the architect purposely set out to reinterpret.

Book your Vueling to Toulouse, which lies less than 100 kilometres from Carcassonne, and travel back in time behind the walls of that wonderful fortified precinct in Languedoc.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Tournasol7