Since I was based in Carcassonne, I first enjoyed an afternoon walk by the juniper tree-lined canal with its bridges and locks near Carcassonne. Pierre-Paul Riquet designed the canal with monumental grandeur, displaying the power of 17th century France. 10 connections, Epic beauty of tree-lined Canal du Midi under threat as. There are a couple of lock gates by the side of the road, where it’s fun to watch the boats maneuvering in and out of the waterway. Most ‘nature moorings’ (posts for tying u… Canal du Midi barge holidays are an entirely unique way to see the South of France. The Escargot Bleu Parked on the Canal du Midi in Le Somail, France After a cool refreshing shower, we wandered into the town in search of a frosty alcoholic beverage and something to eat. Subsequently, if you don't have time for a boating cruise, making a short visit to a random point on the canal is entirely sufficient for "seeing" it. Great Republic Day sale ends today, Experience productivity at its finest with the Vostro 5402. Vineyards, the beautiful old trees, which are so typical for France. Oh, and it does smell so nice over there. Halfway between Toulouse and Carcassonne, the huge basin at Castelnaudary is also an interesting sight, as it is the largest body of open water on the canal (about 7 hectares). Information about the 240km long Canal du Midi. Canal du Midi boat hire : go with the flow in the south of France, along this jewel of the waterways Your cruise in this famous waterways region, extended by the Canal Latéral à la Garonne, allows you to cover up to 500 km on your Pénichette ® or self-drive boat – with no license needed! Discover the Canal des Deux Mers à Vélo, an exceptional cycle route linking the two seas of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. As with all locks on the canal, the chamber is oval, the curved walls better withstand the water pressure. I went by train from Montpellier to Toulouse, and from Narbonne onwards, you can see it from the train in many places; the motorway also runs alongside it. When money didn’t arrive from the court (the project cost 15 million libras) he had to spent his; he died before the canal was finished. Nevertheless, his desire not to superimpose colours and the fact that he left large areas of the background in a pale grey colour can be related to neo-Impressionism. Our Canal du Midi Cruises. Discover the coast of Canal du Midi in a houseboat with 6 Cabins. The canal is served by several tour operators offering novices the chance to navigate their own barge along the entire watercourse or selected sections of the waterway. Tie your boat up and watch the. I finished off my visit with a great Cassoulet at Le Tirou, the number one restaurant in town if you want to try the best cassoulet ever! We docked at towns like capestaing and trebes for the night and picked up bread and croissants each day after 7 am when the bakeries opened. As such the UNESCO Organization … For anyone who is not sure whether they can cope with locks, try this route - only 14 to navigate and it's good fun. The first stop was in the center of Toulouse, between Boulevard des Minimes and Boulevard Matabiau. This is the largest walled city in Europe. But one have to take into account that most of the constructions date from the 17th century and were built with rather simple equipment. The 17th-century Saint-Marcel bridge in Le Somail. Probably because we stayed two nights at Marseillan - a lovely village with really nice restaurants. Next we went to the Ouvrages du Libron, a complex system of gates and walls to protect the Canal du Midi from an overflow of the river Libron at high water. Port Saint-Sauveur on the Canal du Midi is one of two river ports located on the waterway at Toulouse. It’s a 360 km network of waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures, including locks, bridges, and tunnels. Historic Béziers is one of the oldest cities in France. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. Renting a boat on the Canal du Midi is the best way to explore this beautiful corner of France. The photo shows the lock in Homps where we had a sumptuous picnic. The climate along the Canal Du Midi is Mediterranean. This is a must-have compact travel guide to the Canal du Midi, a picturesque waterway in Southern France, popular for boating trips and holidays. How to visit a canal of more than 240 kilometres in length - indeed a good question. This map was created by a user. We had a marvellous week and I would recommend it to anyone. Early Sunday morning I walked on the towpath along that Canal until it joins the Canal du Midi. The Canal du Midi cuts through this sleepy town located near Carcassonne, which is certainly worth a diversion. First we headed for the round lock at Agde, a basin with three gates that connects the canal with the Hérault River. The construction is a jumble of slide gates, ring gears, bars and chains. On this stretch, boats and barges line one side of the waterway, while the north bank becomes a walking and biking path. And for me as a Northern European, it is very nice to see that life has a different pace along the banks of the Canal. 3.50 Italy / Czech Republic - 07-Feb-06 -. Its citadel—Cité de Carcassonne—was founded during the Gallo-Roman period, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Canal du Midi, a silky pale green liquid ribbon that meanders, connecting the Mediterranean port city of Sète to Toulouse is one of the most notable and oldest inland waterways of Europe still in use. Must-sees include the cathedral, seen here at dusk overlooking the old town and its bridge. We also visited Castelnaudary, the highest point of the canal at Col de Naurouze, and the junction with the Garonne in Toulouse. Today, the construction is not very impressive, but in the 17th century the dam in Saint-Ferréol was the highest in the world. From there a canal, the Rigole de la plaine, feed the Canal du Midi at its highest point at the Col de Naurouze. The skippers of the rental boats will make it worth your while, mostly not being hampered by any knowledge of seamanship and line handling. The massive Orb Aqueduct in Béziers is a later addition, it was built in the 19th century and is the longest bridge on the Canal du Midi (240 metres). (Photo: The city's Musée des Augustins is a fine arts. Constructed between about 1080 and 1120, the Romanesque landmark is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. DOCUMENTARY : the canal du midi. Through a Canal du Midi boat hire, you’ll see stunning cathedrals, grand châteaux, ancient ruins and medieval cities. Flexible cancellation or change Houseboat BOOM Péniche (1894, refit 2013) 98.42 feet Skipper included in the price. Day 5 – Paraza PK158 One could argue that you can do Canal du Midi justice only by renting a boat to navigate a portion of it. The surrounding countryside is beautiful, with everything Mother Nature has to offer. For this voyage, we are traveling east from Toulouse and stopping at various points along the way to take in the views. This was one of the great technical innovations by Pierre-Paul Riquet, the engineer of the canal. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, the Canal du Midi is an engineering masterpiece stretching 240 kilometres (150 miles) from Toulouse to Sète on the Mediterranean coast. I decided to have a closer look at two separate places: Castelnaudary and Toulouse. At 360km and with 328 structures (bridges, locks, aqueducts and tunnels) it is a true work of art and was the largest construction site of the 17 th century in France. We spent six days and nights drifting peacefully along the Canal du Midi, stopping each evening at a new point in the countryside or near a village. The surrounding landscape was also taken into account: the canal was framed by trees and plantations. The old Canal du Midi could easily be on everyone's bucket list if they like six days of being pampered on the Athos luxury barge by a staff that answer with a regular glass of local rosé. (Photo: Solid-looking and brooding, the 12th-century Agde Cathedral is built entirely out of black basalt and was designed to serve as a fortress as much as a church. The Garonne joins the Canal du Midi east of the city center. The picture is from this stop. (Photo: Carcassone sits on the Aude River, which is bordered by the Canal du Midi. At Castelnaudary, I found an informative explanation of why the Canal is so important as an engineering feat and as a WHS. In Toulouse, the starting point, you can walk alongside the canal for a long stretch - the main train station Matabiau is right next to it, and a statue of its mastermind Riquet can also be found in the area. Also known as the Languedoc, the Canal du Midi cruise region boasts roughly 700,000 acres under vines, and is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world. Hotel Barge Anjodi. Wine , cheese and bread while underway and then to a new village and a restaurant for dinner. The Canal du Midi is recognised as one of the most beautiful and popular waterways in Europe. A remarkable work of engineering, the Canal du Midi twists and turns through some of the most beautiful countrysides in southern France. The classical way is to navigate the canal by boat. The Capitole de Toulouse dates back to 1750. The original purpose of the Canal du Midi was to be a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, avoiding the long sea voyage around hostile Spain, Barbary pirates, and a trip that in the 17th century required a full month of sailing. The Canal du Midi was built between 1666 and 1681 by Pierre-Paul Riquet to provide an … Obviously, we realise now the reason for the putrid water. We have seen the beautiful canal at Fonséranes, near Béziers, where are nine lifts that go over 25 m and are 315 m long, a port and a bridge, that makes the canal cross the river Orb. 43 Votes Browse this gallery and jump aboard for a leisurely excursion on this UNESCO-protected waterway. (Photo: Travel before March 21 & save 20% on your next booking, Last chance! A most attractive HD video along Canal du Midi is the dam Saint-Ferréol. With sufficient water throughout the year the remarkable Basilica of Saint-Sernin originally named ‘ Canal Royal en Languedoc ’ then! 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