The incredible aviation museums of Toulouse

Toulouse, the ‘pink city.’ offers everything from space-age thrills and incredible aviation museums to cockle warming grub.

Stepping inside the narrow aircraft cabin, I immediately find myself slipping back 35 years as I travel from the UK to Toulouse to start a circular tour of the Lot Valley. The first time I flew into this beguiling city, I was on board Concorde, one of many iconic planes engineered here in the heartland of France’s aviation industry.

So as I look down the aisle of a Concorde prototype at the city’s Aeroscopia museum, a wealth of happy memories come flooding back. In 1989, I took an unforgettable day trip to mark the 20^th anniversary of the world’s favourite airliner. A flight to Toulouse on an Air France Concorde, a gastronomic lunch at a chateau, and home on board a British Airways Concorde. A trip I have treasured ever since.

Trailblazing & tasty Toulouse

I have been back to the ‘Pink City’ – capital of the Occitanie region – to discover its heritage buildings, museums and irresistible lifestyle, but have never explored its aviation pedigree. So this time I’m taking a weekend to discover the city’s family-friendly flying attractions and indulge myself in its lively foodie scene.

From my base at the comfortable Citiz Hotel (citizhotel.com), the city is easily accessible by public transport or on foot. Ten minutes’ walk to the main station in one direction, even less to the historic centre in the other, with the Massena Metro station and key bus and tram routes also on the doorstep.

Aeroscopia

My first stop is Aeroscopia at Blagnac, close to Toulouse’s international airport to the west of the city. Open 361 days of the year, this inspiring collection includes a wealth of iconic civil and military aircraft from the early days of powered flight to the present day. Just think Concorde, Caravelle and Airbus; Falcon, Mirage and the Blériot XI. And it’s soon clear that you don’t need any particular interest in aviation to enjoy this diverse collection and the human stories behind it.

I find it strangely humbling to look at the replica of Louis Blériot’s tiny wooden plane ‘flying’ above the concourse of the vast hangar and then look across to the sleek profile of Concorde that took to the skies just 60 years later. Blériot made the first flight over the English Channel from Calais in 1909, his achievement capturing the imagination of wealthy wannabe pilots whose early flying machines were manufactured around Paris. But as the Western Front of the Great War advanced relentlessly towards the capital, the Government moved the aviation industry as far away as possible, and Toulouse quickly evolved into a centre of aeronautical excellence and innovation.

After an afternoon immersed in iconic aviation, I come right back to the present with dinner at Les Halles de la Cartoucherie (halles-cartoucherie.fr), opened in September 2023 as part of the city’s emerging new eco-district. Easily reached by tram or bus from the city centre, the Cartoucherie neighbourhood is just 15 minutes from Place du Capitole and incorporates accommodation with entertainment venues, workspaces and leisure facilities on the site of a 19^th century arsenal.

Gun cartridges and most recently electronic accessories were produced in Les Halles which has been imaginatively repurposed to combine market stalls and international street food outlets with sports facilities, meeting rooms, and cultural events. Just hop on the T1 Tram or L2 bus for access from the city centre. On a Saturday evening, the spacious building is buzzing with families and friends enjoying an eclectic choice of cuisine at communal tables.

For accommodation on a budget, check out Eklo (eklohotels.com) just across the plaza, a new French concept of green, affordable hotels, combining a design hotel and youth hostel with strict sustainability credentials.

Toulouse's Victor Hugo Market at night Photo: Toulouse Tourism — Toulouse’s Victor Hugo Market at night Photo: Toulouse Tourism

Next morning, I enjoy a different side of Toulouse’s diverse gastronomic scene on a guided tour of the city’s Victor Hugo Market with American resident Jessica Hammer, founder of Taste of Toulouse (tasteoftoulouse.com). I know a fair bit about French gastronomy but still learn new things as Jessica leads our convivial small group from one friendly stall holder to another, finishing with an indoor picnic of carefully selected cheese and charcuterie, accompanied of course by a glass or two of local wine. Huge fun.

Cité de l’Espace

Next I head to the east side of the city for Cité de l’Espace, a family-friendly attraction that combines space craft with interactive exhibitions and timed shows, a Planetarium and IMAX®3D theatre, all set in a landscaped park. To make the most of all that is on offer, arrive early and plan your day around the scheduled events.

Inside the exhibition hall, I particularly enjoy the section on how space affects our daily lives through satellites transmitting weather information and images for telecommunications, television and GPS. And amongst a wealth of hands-on experiences, I can’t resist trying to steer a virtual moon buggy to a lunar module, albeit rather shakily!

Back outside I wander amongst rockets and moon buggies, and get a taste of an astronaut’s environment inside a space station module. It’s cosy but not all bad, given the selection of vacuum-packed food on display, including a portion of my favourite Confit de Canard, cooked up by the Souillac Hotel School in Lot!

If you have time to spare, head to nearby Montaudran where L’Envol des Pionniers –Flight of the Pioneers – celebrates the early years of the French air postal service in the former workshops beside the historic runway. Discover the pioneers of Aéropostale and legendary pilots such as Saint-Exupéry, Mermoz and Guillaumet who flew over deserts, mountains and oceans to deliver mail. And you may spot the resident Minotaur who lives next door!

With a second evening to indulge myself in Toulouse’s varied restaurant scene, I walk through the vast Capitole Square and soak up the atmosphere of this popular meeting place over an al fresco apéro the arcades. Then it’s time to head to Molette (molette-restaurant.fr), a block back from the banks of the Garonne, for my dinner reservation.

The name Molette comes from the colloquial word for a good friend and this cosy little restaurant serves hearty homemade dishes from seasonal local produce designed to satisfy the appetite of a bear, hence their ursine logo. I’m one of the first to arrive as doors open but within minutes, every table is taken. And it’s not long before I find out why. Their signature dish of Mountain Pork with Thyme melts in the mouth, so I obediently make like a bear and devour every last bit, followed by a decadent giant profiterole with caramel sauce. Then I head out into the warm evening to stroll amongst the locals on the quayside as darkness falls over this beguiling city.

Next morning, with a few hours to fill before I fly home, there is just time to take in one of the city’s most historic buildings before it closes for major refurbishment. Due to reopen in Autumn 2025, Le Musée des Augustins is home to one of the city’s leading art collections, atmospherically displayed in a 14^th century monastery. Don’t miss it if you’re travelling to Toulouse next year.

Later, at the airport, I buy a lunchtime sandwich to eat mid-air. I can’t help wishing I was having Confit de Canard instead, but preferably not in a space capsule. Give me that Concorde silver service any day!

By Gillian Thornton, one of the UK’s leading travel writers and a regular writer for The Good Life France Magazine and website.