29th European Summer School in Logic, Language, and Information
University of Toulouse (France), 17-28 July, 2017

ESSLLI Organized Excursions

Please book early because there are both minimum and maximum numbers. Excursions will be cancelled if the minimum is not reached by the early registration deadline (April 27th). In such a case, a refund will be sent to those who had booked.

Booking is done using the ESSLLI 2017 registration form, by June 1rst (availability permitting). Even if you are already registered, you can access the registration form again to book an excursion.

Cordes-sur-Ciel and Wine Tasting
Saturday July 22d, 10h00-20h00


A 1h00 bus ride will bring us to Cordes-sur-Ciel (95km North-East of Toulouse). After lunch in a restaurant, we will discover this small medieval village through a guided tour and some free time strolling in the streets.

Cordes-sur-Ciel


Then, we will move to the nearby winery Domaine de Gayrard for a visit of the winery and the wineyards of the Gaillac terroir ending the day with a tasting session.

vignoble de Gaillac


Price: 47€
Includes: bus transportation, lunch (complete with drinks), guided visit of Cordes-sur-Ciel (in English), visit of the winery, wine tasting.

Pech-Merle Painted Cave, and Canoeing or Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Sunday July 23rd, 8h30-20h00

Near the Lot river at a 1h45 bus ride from Toulouse (145km North of Toulouse), one can find one of the most beautiful prehistoric painted caves open to the public, a great landscape of rivers and canyons, and the Surrealists' favorite medieval village.
An early morning start will allow us visiting the cave of Pech-Merle painted about 27,000 years ago (1h English-guided visit in small groups + free access to the museum + video).
Bring warm clothes, it is very cool and humid in the cave.

Pech Merle


For lunch and afternoon, two options are offered, so we expect to split into two groups.

  • Active option: Canoeing down the Célé river after a (self-catered) picnic by the river, with Nature-et-Loisirs.

    • canoeing Cele

    No previous canoeing experience is required. Gear (life jackets, paddles and sealed containers) is provided. Canoes are shared by 2 people, and you can canoe freely at your own pace, stop and swim where it pleases you. The 15km route proposed should last about 3h30 but shorter options are available.
    Safety: it is highly recommanded to know how to swim to have an enjoyable and carefree ride. Wearing a life jacket is compulsory. It is also recommanded to wear suitable shoes and to fix your glasses. Protect yourself from the sun and from dehydration. Please do not disturb the fishermen.

    Pech-Merle + Canoeing price: 35+7€
    At booking time, you will be asked to pay 35€. This includes: bus transportation and canoe hire. The cost of the guided visit of Pech-Merle, 7€, will be paid cash on site.

  • Relaxed option: visit Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (self-guided tour) after a restaurant lunch. This second option can be made active as you please since there are short hikes around, for instance on the chemin de halage along the Lot river just below Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.

    • Saint-Cirq-Lapopie


    Pech-Merle + Saint-Cirq-Lapopie price: 49+7€
    At booking time, you will be asked to pay 49€. This includes: bus transportation and lunch (complete with drinks). The cost of the guided visit of Pech-Merle, 7€, will be paid cash on site.


Self-planned excursions

Toulouse lies at the center of South-West France and is blessed with numerous excursion possibilities. These are more or less easy to self-organize, depending on the transportation options available. Here are a few suggestions. More on the Tourist Office website and the regional tourism websites Midi-Pyrénées and Destination Sud.

Airbus

Toulouse is the European capital of Aerospace. The Airbus museum is reachable by public transportation (Tram 1) and a short walk.
airbus

Packages including a tour of the A380 assembly line are available. Advance booking through this agency is essential as there are identity checks for security reasons.

Carcassonne

The famous city of Carcassonne (Unesco's world heritage) is reachable in one hour by train. Warning: it is really packed with tourists in summer.
carcassonne

Albi

The episcopal city of Albi (Unesco's world heritage) with its famous gothic cathedral is reachable in one hour by train.
albi

An good package including train and a pass for the Cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in the beautiful Bishop's palace is available for 22€ online only (French webpage).

Rodez

Rodez, with its two museums of neolithic art with wonderful menhirs and contemporary art dedicated to artist Pierre Soulages, also offers an exceptional package deal: train (2h30 from Toulouse) + museum pass at 15€ online only (French webpage).
fenaille soulages

Pyrénées

The Pyrénées mountain range is at about one hour and a half drive from Toulouse, or more depending on where you want to go. Some places accessible by train: Foix (1h10), Lourdes (1h50), Ax-les-thermes (2h), Merens-Les-Vals (2h15), Luchon (2h30).
randoMerens

Mediterranée

Finally, the Mediterranean sea is at one hour and a half drive from Toulouse. Narbonne is accessible by train (1h15) and its beaches by local bus (about 30min).
gruissan