Toulouse is like no other city in France. Indeed, it is scarcely French. An ancient agglomeration crouched on the banks of the Garonne River and crossed by the 17th century Canal du Midi, it has a Spanish spirit, an Italianate appearance and an identity all its own.

By SUZANNE LOWRY

rapped around it are gleaming encampments of the modern world: Airbus Industrie and Aerospatiale make Toulouse the capital of the European aircraft industry; a host of other enterprises--space technology, electronics, robotics, telecommunications and bio-medical research laboratories--confirm it as a high-tech trailblazer.

The fourth-largest and fastest-growing city in France, Toulouse is also the biggest university center outside Paris, with more than 100,000 students whose exuberance spills over into the town's cultural and leisure life. In summer, Toulousians love to live outside, day and night, whether on a cafe terrace, lolling in the Prairie des Filtres park by the river, or walking, talking, making love or music.

In spite of a long, often bitter, history that ended with its absorption into France, Toulouse has never lost the proud sense of being a capital city in its own right. Founded as Tolosa by the Romans about 2,000 years ago, it became the Visigoth capital, and then the stronghold of the great medieval Counts of Toulouse--often mightier than the king in Paris to whom they owed, but did not always pay, homage. It is the headquarters of the lost land of Oc, or Occitania, whose culture remains in the patois of the countryside and in the name Languedoc.

The romantic nickname La Ville Rose refers to the ubiquitous red brick from which the older buildings are constructed. It does not translate well into English: "Pink City" somehow sounds garish, and Toulouse is never that. At sunset on a fine evening the brick fades from rosy to a rich purple.

Toulouse is accessible, festive and well-pleased with itself, offering a warm welcome to visitors. Quality of life is all important. You can eat well, shop well, listen to music and opera of high quality; skiing is possible within a couple of hours drive to the Pyrenees; wonderful countryside comes right to the gates.

Everyone from the mayor down is determined that those who come for the football will have a ball in every other sense. The wide river will provide an ideal center for events around the six World Cup matches to be played in the Municipal Stadium--usually the home of the city's famous rugby team--on the Ile du Ramier; spectators will be shuttled to and fro on ferries.

The annual Garona festival on the third Sunday of June is a zany waterborne cavalcade of barges and boats, rafts and rubber ducks--anything that floats can take part. From June 11, there will be street parties and concerts, pageants, jousting and singing. Above all, on Midsummer Night the Fete de la Musique will provide a sleepless, euphoric nocturne.

It would be a pity not to also wander down the narrow medieval streets, visit some of the many galleries and museums and the marvellous cloisters and churches of the city. Chief among the latter is the Basilica of St. Sernin, consecrated just over 1,000 years ago. It houses the remains of the first bishop of Toulouse, Saint Saturnin, who was martyred in 250 A.D. Nearby is the Monastery of the Jacobins, founded in the 13th century and containing some famous "palm tree" roof-vaulting. The Cathedral of Saint Etienne, built during several centuries, and the Monastery of the Augustins, now a museum, should not be missed.

The religious history of Toulouse is deeply troubled: the Inquisition had its origins here in the wake of the crusades against the Cathar heretics in the 13th century, in which the Catholic armies of the Pope and the King were ultimately and brutally victorious.

Great wealth came in the 16th century, when there was world demand for the blue woad dye or pastel produced in the region. Merchants built magnificent houses, some of which survive: the Hotel d'Assezat, for example, has an art collection with works by Cranach, Veronese, Bonnard, Picasso and Dufy.

The most magnificent building of all is the Capitole, the City Hall. Its 128-m long facade also houses the newly restored opera house. The vast square in front will be used as a theater for many of the summer's spectacles but is also the regular marketplace. Surrounded by cafes and hotels, it is an ideal rendezvous. One of the best restaurants, the Jardins de l'Opera, is tucked into a romantic courtyard nearby.

Cheaper and more relaxed is the Brasserie des Beaux Arts, by the river on the Quai de la Daurade. Here also is the Cafe des Artistes, a place where you can sip an evening glass--and see the rose-red bricks of the Pont Neuf turn dark at nightfall.