Toulouse

A 4-hectare floodplain meadow on the left bank of the Garonne, directly opposite the old town. It is one of the few French city-center parks where dogs may run off-leash, and it fills with locals, frisbees and guitars at sunset.

The 240 km UNESCO-listed canal commissioned by Louis XIV begins at Port Saint-Sauveur and stretches to the Mediterranean. The continuous plane-tree-shaded towpath is ideal for long leashed walks or bike runs with a dog trailer.

Built between 1080 and 1120, this is the largest surviving Romanesque church in Europe and a key stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Dogs may sit with you on the surrounding Place Saint-Sernin but are not permitted inside the basilica.

The vast 18th-century main square, dominated by the Capitole city hall with its Occitan Cross inlaid in the pavement. Leashed dogs are welcome on the square and under the arcades, where several cafés set out water bowls in summer.

Laid out in 1794, this 7-hectare botanical garden connects to the Grand-Rond and Jardin Royal via arched bridges. Leashed dogs are permitted on all main paths, though the Museum of Natural History inside the park does not admit them.

Inaugurated by Louis XIV in 1659 after nearly a century of construction, the Pont Neuf links the old town to Saint-Cyprien. The paved quays on both banks are closed to cars on Sundays, giving dog walkers uninterrupted kilometres along the pink-bricked river.