Basilica of St. Sernin Toulouse

The Basilica of St. Sernin is the landmark of Toulouse. Being built with eye-catching red bricks, it was the basilica that gave Toulouse the nickname “La ville rose”, the rose-colored city. Furthermore, the basilica is known for the many Romanesque sculptures within it. The grave of the Holy Sarturninus can be found in the crypt for a small entrance fee of 2 Euros.

The bell tower of the church was finally completed in the middle of the 13th century and is very memorable due to its unique form. The tower is built in an octagon structure and rises tall above the city with a height of 67 meters.

Flea market

There is a fascinating flea market to be found in front of the basilica on every Sunday, where many gather from all over the region to sell exceptional things each week.

The Basilica of St. Sernin was constructed between 1077 and 1119 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as of today. The basilica was built as a pilgrimage on the grave of the Holy Saturninus, the first bishop of Toulouse who was buried in the year 250 AD. Nowadays the church is part of the french Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela.

There was a monastery built as early as the 4th century came around, back then being stretched to its limit due to a highly increasing number of pilgrims coming to Toulouse. The monastery grew to become the biggest Romanesque church of France and the landmark of Toulouse. The shape of the Basilica of St. Sernin is reminiscent of a huge gallery hall with a total length of 115 meters.

With public transportation

The basilica is easily reachable with the metro line B, getting off at the Jeanne d'Arc Station.