6 Best Sights in Toulouse, Toulouse and the Languedoc

Toulouse's most famous landmark and the world's largest Romanesque church once belonged to a Benedictine abbey, built in the 11th century to house pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Inside, the aesthetic high point is the magnificent central apse, begun in 1080, glittering with gilded ceiling frescoes, which date to the 19th century. When illuminated at night, St-Sernin's five-tier octagonal tower glows red against the sky. Not all the tiers are the same: the first three, with their rounded windows, are Romanesque; the upper two, with pointed Gothic windows, were added around 1300. The ancient crypt contains the relics and reliquaries of 128 saints, but its most famed treasure is a thorn that legend says is from the Crown of Thorns.

The cathedral was erected in stages between the 13th and the 17th century, though the nave and choir languished unfinished because of a lack of funds. A fine collection of 16th- and 17th-century tapestries traces the life of St-Stephen. In front of the cathedral is the city's oldest fountain, dating from the 16th century.

All that remains of the Carmelite convent that once stood here is its chapel, begun in 1622 by King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Look up to admire the remarkable painted vaulted ceiling.

Originally called Sancta Maria de Ecclesia Alba in Langue d'Oc and Ste-Marie de l'Église Blanche in French (alba and blanche both meaning "white"), the name of this church evolved into "de Albata" and later "Dalbade." Ironically, one of its outstanding features today is the colorful 19th-century ceramic tympanum over the Renaissance door.

The 18th-century Notre-Dame de la Daurade overlooks the Garonne. The church's name—derived from doré (gilt)—refers to the golden reflection given off by mosaics decorating the 5th-century temple to the Virgin Mary that once stood on this site. It's also known as Notre-Dame la Noire, a nod to the church's "Black Virgin," a figure of devout worship and dressed in special finery by designers, including Christian Lacroix.

Built on the spot where St-Saturnin (or Sernin), the martyred bishop of Toulouse, was dragged to his death in AD 250 by a rampaging bull, this church is famous for its cloche-mur, or wall tower. The wall looks like an extension of the facade and has inspired many similar versions throughout the region.