Cheap flights from Budapest to Toulouse from £22

The seven-hectare Jardin des Plantes offers a great opportunity for a relaxing stroll. Founded in 1750, it was the first botanical garden in Toulouse. Those interested in botany will appreciate 1,000 different species of plants. The park is rich in sculptures, including a memorial to a war captain and statues depicting various characters of Greek myths. Look for the backyard of the neighbouring Museum of Natural History — there is a large model of a T-Rex skeleton!

Streets in the historic districts of Toulouse still have old signs along with modern ones. Streets parallel to the River Garonne were marked by yellow and numbered from downstream to upstream. Those perpendicular to the waterway had grey signs, and the numbers of the houses increased if you went downstream. Using online maps is certainly an easier way to get around — but why not take up a little quest?

The Minotaur is an astounding 14-tonne street theatre machine, which can take you for a ride along the Runway of Giants. The moving eyelids and smoking nostrils make it look like a living beast! But he is not the only inhabitant of the Halle de la Machine. Another giant is a walking 37-ton spider, Ariane. Musical machines make up the really strange orchestra. There’s also a huge set of wings controlled by a machinist. Take a trip to the land of wonders!