Getting there British Airways, Aer Lingus, easyJet, Flybe and Jet2.com offer flights from airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. It takes 15 minutes to reach the city centre by taxi and a little longer on the Flybus.

usiness climate The region is a focus of French research and development and Toulouse is the country's second-biggest student city. An aeronautics and space industry hub and a pharma and biotechnology cluster are key employers. Telecoms, electronics, engineering, logistics and textiles are well established alongside cleantech. There is a strong agriculture and food sector, too.

Etiquette Toulouse is a blend of innovation and the traditions of south-west France, including rugby, festivals and food. There are welcome influences from Spain and from the German and British communities employed at Airbus. It's a young, business-minded city and networking is important, whether in local clubs or at rugby games.

Don't miss Known as the "pink city", Toulouse offers splendid sunset views when the distinctive red brickwork takes on a rosy hue. Enjoy a walk in Renaissance streets and discover the golden hôtels particuliers (private mansions) du Pastel. Look inside the Saint Sernin Basilica and the Jacobins cloister, with its palm-tree vaulting. Or savour the fresh air of the Jardin des Plantes, a public park and botanical garden. And don't forget to stop for drinks and tapas in a terrace bar.

Culture Toulouse has a strong musical heritage, from the Piano aux Jacobins concert series and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse to opera and ballet at the Théâtre du Capitole. Carlos Gardel, the king of tango, was born here and so, too, was renowned singer Claude Nougaro. But art is everywhere, especially underground. Take the metro and discover the work of 38 artists in stations on lines A and B. Near the riverfront is Les Abattoirs, below, a contemporary art museum converted from slaughterhouses, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The 20th Printemps de Septembre, a festival of contemporary arts, runs from 24 September to 17 October.

Where to stay Want to sleep in the room of Saint Exupéry? The charming Hôtel Le Grand Balcon, above, is for those who want to feel the spirit of aviation pioneers who made Toulouse the starting point for Aéropostale (air mail) flights. Book suite number 32 overlooking Place du Capitole. Close to the Halle aux Grains and the Saint Etienne quarter, the Bains Douches is a family-run design hotel that reinvents luxury around a water theme.

Eat like a local Just in front of Les Abattoirs, you'll eat the best meat at Chez Carmen. Why not enjoy a beautiful view of the Hôtel-Dieu in a smart brasserie atmosphere at Chez Flo? Sample the traditional cassoulet de Toulouse at Emile on the pretty Place Saint Georges or visit Py'r for modern gastronomy.