The old centre of Toulouse is east of the River Garonne: it's compact and most places of interest can easily be visited on foot. It's bounded to the east and north by Bvd Lazare Carnot / Bvd de Strasbourg, and to the south by the cathedral, Rue Metz and Pont Neuf.
- 5 Hôtel d'Assézat, Place d'Assézat, ☏ +33 5 6112 0689. 10AM to 6PM. Great mansion house built in the 16th century in Renaissance style for a rich merchant. It now houses the personal art collection of Georges Bemberg (1915–2011). (updated Aug 2023)
- Notre-Dame du Taur is at 12 Rue du Taur 100 m north of the Capitole. It was built at the spot where St Sernin's body broke from the bull that had dragged him to death; this legend is uncannily similar to those of Mithras. His remains were later transferred to the basilica and the present church is from 14th–16th century in pink-brick Gothic.
- 8 Pont-Neuf means "New Bridge" but it's by far the oldest bridge across the Garonne river, built from 1544 to 1626. The arches aren't symmetrical – they were supposed to represent the face and haunches of a lion, but you'll need a lot of imagination to visualise that. The water-tower ("chateau d'eau") at its west end hosts photography exhibitions.
- 9 Pont Saint-Pierre 500 m downstream also has pleasant river views.
