Toulouse is a remarkable city. Rich in history and with a healthy future: it is the centre of France's aviation and aerospace industry, and has the country's second-largest student population after Paris.
It also has a progressive way of looking at the past. The So Toulouse tourist pass, which celebrated its first anniversary in February, offers free or discounted admission to 35 of the city's main attractions and partner sites, as well as free travel on the Tisséo public transport network.
A discounted trip through time could begin at the exceptionally well-preserved Roman amphitheatre in the Purpan district, which hosted gladiatorial combat up to the fourth century. It's managed by the Musée Saint Raymond, which is next to St Sernin Basilica and has an excellent collection of Gallo-Roman art and sculpture.
The tour might continue with the Church of the Jacobins, which houses the remains of St Thomas Aquinas. Be sure to view the wonderful ceiling through the specially tilted mirror. The attached cloisters should not be missed, with the beautiful Chapel of St Antonin and a 17m-high refectory, which was one of the largest in medieval Europe.
Move up towards the second half of the millennium with the Musée des Augustins, a former gothic monastery which houses a selection of paintings from the 14th to the 20th centuries, before reaching the present day with Les Abattoirs. This former slaughterhouse has been converted into a magnificent museum of modern art, with more than 2,000 works including Picasso's and cutting-edge contemporary pieces. Until 5 May, British artist Anthony McCall has transformed the space with a series of "solid light works".
Finally, blast off into the future at La Cité de l'Espace (City of Space). This scientific theme park on the outskirts, a hit with families, has two planetariums, full-scale models of the Ariane 5 space rocket and the Mir space station, and a control room in which visitors can simulate a launch.
Alternatively, take in the beauty of the whole city with a boat trip on the Garonne or the Canal du Midi, recognised as a world heritage site by Unesco. Dining options are available, as are night cruises with Toulouse's monuments and the Pont Neuf spectacularly illuminated. The Pont Neuf or "new bridge" was, in Toulouse's final chronological sleight of hand, built in the 16th or 17th century.
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/midi-pyrenees-toulouse
