Cité de l'Espace

The Cité de l'Espace is the space museum of Toulouse, set on the eastern edge of the city, and it is a good reminder of how important aerospace is to this part of France. Toulouse is home to the French space agency's main centre and to a large part of the European space and aircraft industry, and the museum, which opened in June 1997, was created to explain that world to the general public. It is a discovery park rather than a traditional museum, with indoor halls and an outdoor area, so most visitors plan half a day or more.

The first thing you see is the outdoor display. A full-size replica of an Ariane 5 launcher rises about fifty metres above the site, and you can walk around its base and see how stages, boosters and the payload fairing fit together. Nearby is a replica of the Russian Mir space station, which visitors can enter, and other full-scale pieces of equipment including capsules and satellite models. Seen up close, the scale of the hardware gives a better sense of rocket science than a photograph.

Inside, the exhibition halls cover the solar system, the history of space travel, life aboard a station and the techniques used to explore other worlds. Many displays are interactive, with simulators and hands-on experiments, and families with children will find plenty to try. The collection includes a lunar sample brought back by the American Apollo programme, which draws a quiet crowd. The planetarium has a large dome and shows films about the stars, and there is a giant-screen cinema as well. These shows are timed, so check the daily programme when you arrive and book places for them early on busy days.

The museum is well suited to families, school groups and anyone curious about rockets, astronauts or astronomy. It also has a reputation for hosting talks and events with astronauts and engineers, which are announced on the website. Visitors who come in July or August should expect crowds, and an early start helps. Paths between buildings are exposed to the sun, so water and a hat are useful in summer, and the outdoor sections can be cold and windy in winter.

The site lies outside the old centre, so plan the trip as a separate outing from the historic sights of the city, such as the Capitole, the Basilique Saint-Sernin or the Musée des Augustins. Travellers with an interest in aviation can combine it with the other aerospace sites around Toulouse. It makes a good wet-weather option, since most of the exhibits are indoors, and it works well as a day out for families who need a break from churches and museums.