FRENCH FRIDAYS – PLACE DU CAPITOLE, TOULOUSE
Place du Capitole, or Place Cap to the locals, is the beating heart of Toulouse and a great place to start a visit. Cafés, hotels and shops line three sides of the square, while the majestic Town Hall completes the fourth. Restored in 1850, the peach marbled columns, fluttering flags and carved statues create an impressive sight.
It’s not all about bureaucracy, however. The theatre fills the right side of the building and each day brings a different activity to the square. Toulouse’s marathon finishes here, rock concerts entertain and organic markets pitch up every week.
The Occitan cross curls across the paving stones, symbolising the people destroyed by the Albigensian crusade 800 years ago. Inside, a bust to local socialist hero Jean Jaurès guards the lavish public rooms upstairs.
The best way to enjoy Place du Capitole is by sipping wine in one of the overpriced street cafes, as sunset washes over the Pink City.
