Learn French in Toulouse, «France's best kept secret»

Toulouse, named one of the world's «10 Most Dynamic Cities» by the American magazine «Newsweek» (July 2006 International Edition), has a long history of independence, iconoclasm and innovation.

Known as «La ville rose» for the red brick of its historic centre, the history of Toulouse lives in its streets, in its well-preserved 'hôtels particuliers' and the 49 ornamental towers rising from its mediaeval courtyards. Shaped by the resistance of the idealistic Cathars and the flowering culture of the 15th century merchants of pastel, Toulouse continues its inventive traditions into the 21st century as the n°2 centre of the international aerospace industry and a hub of scientific research.

Currently the 4th largest city in France with a population of 430,000 and growing, Toulouse is also France's 2nd most important university town, after Paris, with the first provincial university to be established in France, in the late 13th century.

The presence of some 140,000 students from all over Europe and the world makes Toulouse a city of cafés and terraces, restaurants and dance clubs, music and bookstores, artist collectives, avant-garde performances and public debates, concerts of every style and a world-famous rugby team. Host to more than 20 annual festivals of music, dance, film, art and literature, at any time of year your stay in Toulouse is likely to be punctuated by public light shows, film projections, art installations, live music and dancing in the streets.

Toulouse is a key location to discover Southern France. Its strategic geographic location at the crossroads to the Pyrenees, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coast makes it easy for students to organize their own weekend excursions to the mountains and sea, as well as to historic villages and sites in the region.

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Passionately engaged in their social and work environments, Toulousans are also known to have the southerners' talent for taking the time to live well and appreciate life. In this cosmopolitan and dynamic city, Toulousans are open and friendly with visitors, while shopkeepers and waiters will encourage your efforts to speak French.

A typical free evening in Toulouse starts with an «aperitif», continues with a film, concert or performance, followed by a leisurely dinner in a cozy local 'cave' and ending with a stroll to drink a «digestif» and people-watch at another umbrella-roofed terrace café. The Toulousan philosophy of life will leave you an authentic taste of the traditional French way of life.