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 

Joan of Arc is one of those unforgettable historical figures with a passionate biography. Her life has spawned a myriad of books and films that attempt to uncover the secrets of that mysterious personage. Born into times of upheaval, against the backdrop of the Thirty Years’ War, she went from being a humble, illiterate countrywoman to leading an army of five thousand men, all prompted by her “visions”. It was God himself that talked to her and told her she had a mission to accomplish – to lead the French army and drive out the English in order to achieve the coronation of Charles VII of France. Quite a feat! This might seem outlandish to us now but, in the early 15th century, the role and power of religion were undisputed. Not for nothing were kings thus proclaimed “by the grace of God”. What’s more, the recipient of these visions was a brave and tenacious woman with powerful convictions.

Orleans, the City that Saw Her Triumph

One of the key moments in her life took place in Orleans, for which she was thenceforth known as the Maid of Orleans. On 8 May 1429 she accomplished one of her most extraordinary feats by liberating the city from the English, which marked the beginning of the reconquest of the occupied territories. To commemorate her victory, the Joan of Arc Festival is held in Orleans at this time  every year at which her momentous feat is re-enacted through mock battles, accompanied by a modern festival event, the Set Electro Festival, with various DJ performances.

During the siege of Orleans, our heroine lived in the house of Jacques Boucher, treasurer to the Duke of Orleans. Rebuilt in 1960, it is currently known as the House of Joan of Arc. The building features a multimedia room, and a research and documentation centre for those wishing to learn more about the Maid of Orleans and her passage through the city.

For the more scholarly researchers, the Joan of Arc Centre houses one of the largest libraries on the subject, enabling visitors to consult a host of period manuscripts and documents.

Rouen – the Tragic End

After her passage through Orleans, Joan of Arc sought to lay down her arms, as she had ceased to have visions, but she was entreated to return to the battlefield and ended up acquiescing. This time things did not go so well. After being defeated in a number of campaigns, in 1430 she was captured by the Burgundians, handed over to the English and taken to Rouen. Here commenced the most arduous episode in her life. After a lengthy inquisitorial procedure, she was accused of heresy and witchcraft and sentenced to be burned at the stake.

During her interrogation, she was incarcerated in the Dungeon or Joan of Arc Tower, part of the castle built by Philippe Auguste in 1204. Still standing, the castle is open to the public.

The Archiepiscopal Palace, an acclaimed specimen of medieval architecture and the setting for part of the legal process was recently converted into the Historial Jeanne d’Arc. Inaugurated in March 2015, it is now the largest area dedicated to the memory of Joan of Arc. Its 1,000m² of floor space is endowed with the latest technologies for narrating and unveiling the history of our heroine and taking us back to the period she lived in.

Joan of Arc was executed on 30 May 1431 in the Place du Vieux Marché, now an essential place of pilgrimage. The Church of Joan of Arc was built in the square in 1979, designed by the architect, Louis Arretche, for a dual purpose – to honour St Joan of Arc and as a civilian memorial to the heroine. The church was built on the very spot where the saint was burned alive, and the exact location of her martyrdom is duly marked.

How to Get There

Both destinations are a train journey of just over an hour away from Paris. The Orleans train runs from the Gare Austerlitz, while the Rouen line starts at the Gare Saint-Lazare.

Live out the story of Joan of Arc – check out our flights to Paris here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by fidber, Roger Salz and Edhral

The Marseillais are fortunate. Although they inhabit the second most populated city in France – after Paris – with all that entails, right on their doorstep they have a haven of peace in the form of a nature reserve which can be negotiated on foot or by kayak, and where they can swim and splash about in summer. Living with the Mediterranean lapping at your feet does have its advantages.

The spot we are referring to and which we recommend touring and experiencing first-hand is the magnificent Parc national des Calanques. This nature reserve starts at the port of Pointe Rouge, south of Marseille, and stretches for 20 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast, up to the small fishing port of Cassis. But, what secret does this area hold in store?

Les Calanques is an area of granite and limestone buttresses jutting into the sea and forming a winding coastline with deep inlets and numerous cliffs, between which nestle various coves or calanques, which the reserve takes its name from. Some of these coves can only be reached by sea. The turquoise blue of the sea strikes a marked contrast with the arid terrain, with little (stunted) or no vegetation, the result of the warm Mediterranean climate and the properties of the local soil.

Visitors to Les Calanques will enter a magnificent area, conducive to hiking in search of the picturesque coves. They will also find the perfect spot for rock climbing as it is teeming with cliff faces where the more adventurous can try out their skills on the sheer walls.

Things get even more interesting, as this nature reserve also extends out to sea, where the biodiversity lies in its waters, featuring a large number of different species. It is thus a very attractive destination for divers, too.

What to Bear In Mind When Visiting

When planning an excursion to Les Calanques, take into consideration that the area is protected, which means access is limited at different stages in the year. Summer is when it is at its most vulnerable, owing to fire hazards, so that motor vehicles are banned from the area in this season and even access on foot is controlled. So, if you are unable to visit the park in spring or autumn, the best time of year to venture into it, take into account that you have to pay to park your car and then walk in the summer sun. Remember to use sturdy footwear and to take a hat and a good water supply.

Of the many coves you will come across in this stretch of coastline, the most popular ones are Calanque de Port-Miou, Port-Pin, the Calanque d’En-Vau and Morgiou. These are closest to the town of Cassis and can be reached in the course of a pleasant walk along the coast. The larger Calanque de Sormiou is also among the most popular coves.

Be sure to also make a point of visiting Cassis and its picturesque harbour, characterised by its fishing boats and colourful houses. Painters of the calibre of Signac and Derain were understandably captivated by the light and colour of this town.

Don’t miss your own adventure to this magnificent corner of the Mediterranean – book your Vueling to Marseille here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Frédérique Voisin-Demery, Amanda Snyder, Thomas Barthelet, maarjaara