Toulouse: The Pink City and Surroundings

Four days between the Pink City and its surroundings, from Romanesque stone to aerospace. The trip opens on the Place du Capitole and the basilica of Saint-Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in Europe and a major stop on the road to Santiago, then shifts to the Cite de l'Espace with its Ariane rockets, before a tour of the Airbus assembly line at Blagnac. Two side trips round out the stay: Albi, whose brick fortress cathedral and episcopal city are UNESCO-listed, and Cordes-sur-Ciel, a hilltop bastide often drowned in morning mist. Throughout, red brick gives the region its unity. The Airbus tour must be booked in advance and requires photo ID. Albi and Cordes can be combined in a single day, an hour's drive from Toulouse.