On the eastern side of place du Capitole (the main square) is the 128m-long façade of the Capitole, Toulouse's city hall. This neoclassical masterpiece, in Toulouse's characteristic pink brick and buttressed with gleaming white columns, was built in the early 1750s, but this spot was a seat of municipal power for 500 years prior. The interior is worth a look for its spectacular late-19th-century Salle des Illustres (Hall of the Illustrious), decorated by artists including post-impressionist Henri Martin.
© James March / Lonely Planet
Capitole
Toulouse
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.74 MILES
The fantastic space museum on the city's eastern outskirts brings Toulouse's illustrious aeronautical history to life through hands-on exhibits, including…
0.2 MILES
With its palm tree vaulted ceiling, the Couvent des Jacobins is one of Toulouse’s oldest and most recognizable buildings
0.03 MILES
Toulouse’s grandiose main square is the focal point in the heart of France’s "Pink City"
5.65 MILES
This aviation museum was built on the very spot the A380 Airbus was first completed. Here you can admire commercial and military aircraft and learn behind…
0.28 MILES
This well-preserved Romanesque edifice is built from golden and rose-hued stonework up to the tip of the octogonal bell tower. Entry is free, but it’s…
0.31 MILES
This luxurious museum of fine arts and historic design is housed within Toulouse’s most impressive hôtel particulier (private mansion), the Hôtel d…
0.61 MILES
The Canal du Midi is an engineering wonder, a 241km waterway constructed under Louis XIV to link the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. Deservedly…
0.27 MILES
Having trouble imagining Toulouse decorated with 4th-century nude Venuses and Corinthian columns? This light-filled museum neatly aligns the city's modern…
Nearby Toulouse attractions
0.03 MILES
Toulouse’s grandiose main square is the focal point in the heart of France’s "Pink City"
0.09 MILES
This striking 14th-century church commemorates the city's patron saint, St Sernin, who was reputedly martyred on this very spot.
0.2 MILES
With its palm tree vaulted ceiling, the Couvent des Jacobins is one of Toulouse’s oldest and most recognizable buildings
0.27 MILES
Having trouble imagining Toulouse decorated with 4th-century nude Venuses and Corinthian columns? This light-filled museum neatly aligns the city's modern…
0.28 MILES
This well-preserved Romanesque edifice is built from golden and rose-hued stonework up to the tip of the octogonal bell tower. Entry is free, but it’s…
0.3 MILES
Toulouse boasts more than 50 hôtels particuliers – private mansions built for the city's nobles and aristocrats during the 16th and 17th centuries. Among…
0.31 MILES
This luxurious museum of fine arts and historic design is housed within Toulouse’s most impressive hôtel particulier (private mansion), the Hôtel d…
0.46 MILES
The city cathedral dates mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, and has a gorgeous rose window. It's also the burial place of Pierre-Paul Riquet, the…