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The Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi runs between the Atlantic at Bordeaux and the Mediterranean at Sete, was designed by Pierre Paul Riquet and was built by a labour force of more than 12,000 men over a period of fourteen years between 1667-1681; however the section from Bordeaux to Toulouse was a later addition, not completed until the nineteenth century. From the perspective of tourism the most interesting and attractive part is the earlier section from Toulouse to Sète via Carcassonne, Beziers and Agde.
The Canal du Rhone à Sète and the Canal de Jonction/Canal de la Robine are also both in the Languedoc and make interesting excursions from the Canal du Midi itself..
The Canal du Midi from Bordeaux to Carcassonne:
Although the Canal du Midi is often described as starting at Bordeaux, the section between Bordeaux and Toulouse, whilst usually referred to as a section of the Canal du Midi should more accurately be described as a combination of the River Garonne and the Canal Lateral, now known as the Canal de Garonne. The part on the River Garonne from Bordeaux to Castets runs through the famous Bordeaux vineyards, after which one is on the Canal which runs through a series of shaded pounds between the slopes of the hills and the Garonne river which it actually crosses by means of a long aqueduct at Agen. It then runs through the middle of Moissac before reaching Toulouse and the start of the Canal du Midi proper.
Toulouse is a beautiful city, built mainly from brick which 
gives it a quite distinctive character and which lead to it being popularly known as “the pink city” It’s one of France’s “cities of art” and among its more famous buildings are the Saint-Sernin Basilica, the Saint-Etienne Cathedral and the Capitale, a 128m long façade decorated with marble columns. By contrast, it’s also the home of the French aerospace industry, and the first ever Concorde flight actually took off from its airport. Much of Europe’s aerospace developments are celebrated here in the “Cite de l’Espace” a major tourist attraction.
The Canal du Midi itself runs through the city between tree-lined and shady banks, until it starts to climb gradually through the Lauragais region, famous for its rolling landscape and sunflowers, to the Naurouze summit, sometimes running alongside the A61 Autoroute. There is also a cycle path alongside the canal most of the way from Toulouse to the summit at Seuil de Naurouze, where the canal passes though a beautiful avenue shaded by 200 year old plane trees, and where there is a monument to the canal’s engineer, Pierre-Paul Riquet.
Seuil de Naurouze is the natural dividing line between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean where water from the Montagne Noire (The Black Mountain) runs into a reservoir with a western outlet running towards Toulouse and the Atlantic and an eastern outlet running towards Sète and the Mediterranean.
Continuing our journey towards the Med we come to Port Lauragais, which is not only a port on the canal, but is also an Autoroute service area too, where there’s an opportunity for motorists or caravanners to see some of the many boats that use the Canal du Midi.
Beyond Port Lauragais the canal runs to the Grand Bassin
of Castelnaudary, an old town with many beautiful Renaissance style houses, and a 13th Century mill. The port here, situated beyond a 17th Century hump-backed bridge, the Pont Vieux, lies alongside what amounts to a small lake. This exits into the Saint Roch lock, which comprises four twinned pools, and carries boats through a drop of almost ten metres.
Continuing eastward the canal now descends through many locks and countryside dominated by vineyards until it reaches Carcassonne, the largest Medieval fortress in Europe.
Cruising the Canal du Midi, particularly in the Languedoc, is surprisingly easy. There is a speed limit of 6-8 kph (less than 5 mph) and both the Canal du Midi and the Canal de la Robine are open to navigation from March to November, although locks are only open from 08.30 – 12.30 and from 13.30 – 19.30. Many locks are now mechanised, although between Seuil de Naurouze and Carcassonne.they are still worked by hand.
Moorings are widely available, and enable one to tie-up alongside the banks and venture off in search of nearby villages, historic sites, restaurants etc.
Fishing in the Canal is popular, with catches including Carp, Perch, Pike, and Roach – even the occasional Crayfish! A fishing licence is required, and these can be obtained locally.
The section of the Canal du Midi between Carcassonne and the Mediterranean at Sète is entirely within the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, and apart from its boating possibilities, it also offers opportunities for exploration by car, by bicycle and on foot.
Carcassonne is situated in the Aude Valley plain, at the intersection of two historically important routes – one running west to east from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the other running north to south from the Cevennes to the Pyrenees.
The old walled city – known as Le Cité – 
is the largest medieval fortress in Europe, and even just seeing it from a distance when travelling on the A61 Autoroute is pretty impressive! Built over a period of 2,000 years it was abandoned before being restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th Century, and although nowadays being rather like a film-set, and a hugely popular tourist attraction, it’s still a “must” in terms of a visit if you’re in this part of France, especially if you happen to be able to catch the festivities and fantastic fireworks display on 14th July (Bastille Day).
The Cité is surrounded by two massive walls with the 12th Century Comtal Castle alone having three kilometres of ramparts and no less than fifty towers!
The canal basin at Carcassonne is well-developed with shops and restaurants, and includes a tourist information centre – albeit mooring here can be noisy as a result of the nearby railway station, but the advantage is that there are buses and taxis available from here to take you to the Cité – alternatively it’s a longish uphill walk across the River Aude.
Through Carcassonne the canal runs first through the Ville Basse, which is the old part built around the 13th Century, after which a stretch lined with cypress trees follows the Aude Valley down to the Aqueduct at Le Fresquel. This is a 19th Century construction in the form of three arches, which carries the Canal and the road alongside each other.
At this point you enter the Corbieres region which is the area made famous by the Cathars - the ruins of many of their mysterious hill-top castles, such as the four castles of Lastours, can be seen from the canal, and many of them are situated within a 30km radius of Trèbes, the next town on the Canal
Trèbes is a pleasant small town 7km from Carcassonne, with a 13th Century church, with some unusual carvings, a selection of small shops and restaurants hidden away in a maze of narrow streets and a swimming pool and tennis courts. The local Minervois wines are a speciality of this area. There are shaded moorings and a well-equipped port only about 100m from the town centre, and there’s a bus service from here to La Cité at Carcassonne.
The three arches of the Orbiel aqueduct, built in 1688 by Vauban, which takes the Canal over the Orbiel River are followed by triple locks built into the rock, and at the entrance to the lock there is a 17th Century water mill.
Continuing along the Canal one arrives next at Marseillette where there are good moorings, shops and other facilities.
Those who are planning to cycle from Carcassonne should keep to the towpath along the right bank of the Canal as far as Marseillette where it’s necessary to cross to the left bank
The next notable landmark is the terraced village of Puicheric, dominated by the square tower of its Romanesque church. Cyclists need to cross back here, at the Aiguille Lock, onto the right bank of the canal for the ride through La Redorte and Homps to Argens-Minervois.
La Redorte offers a useful quay for mooring, with a restaurant and shops close by, a railway station and a market (Tuesdays and Fridays). It has a good “cave” selling Minervois wines, an attractive fountain, and an ancient wine press.
Homps, north of the Aude River, overlooking a wide plain towards the Montagne Noir is one of the very few places on the Canal where barges could turn round and change direction, and was the third most important port on the Canal , opened by Louis X1V himself no less. It used to be a very lively little port where barges loaded complete grape harvests to transport these to Bordeaux or Séte, but nowadays it’s a hire-cruiser base with good moorings, many facilities in terms of restaurants etc, and makes a convenient centre for exploring the Minervois area.
Arguably one of the most beautiful villages on the Canal, 
Argens-Minervois is an ideal night-stop. A short walk from the moorings into the cobbled area of this terraced hilltop village is to experience the real ambience of the Languedoc.
The next 54km stretch of the Canal, known as Le Grand Bief, is unique in having no locks! The Canal winds through several villages, the most notable being Roubia, and Paraza, before crossing the aqueduct over the River Répudre just short of Ventenac-en-Minervois. A visit to the Chateau de Ventenac, with its vaulted cellar for tasting or buying wine is well worthwhile! Cyclists need to be careful on the section from Argens-Minervois to Paraza as the towpath has been taken over by a minor road in two places, and it’s easy to take the wrong turning where the towpath on the right bank crosses a bridge over the Canal du Jonction de la Robine – Stay on the right bank and avoid following the wrong canal here! From here to the Malpas Tunnel (where you’ll need to push you cycle over the top before re-joining the towpath, now on the left hand side, at the far-end of the tunnel) Cyclists should note that parts of the tow-path along the stretch before the Malpas Tunnel are in a poor condition, and you may need to dismount
The next place of note is Le 
Somail, a very pretty village, which, before the construction of the Canal de la Robine, was the port for Narbonne. This well-preserved village was actually the third night-stop for passengers on the Postal Barge running between Toulouse and Agde. Today pleasure boating has replaced commercial traffic, but the charm remains, with old bookshops, a hat museum, an artists workshop and several restaurants.
The Canal du Midi continues to meander through Argeliers to
Capestang, which has an awkward low bridge, as well as its magnificent (but unfinished!) 14th Century collegiate church of St. Etienne Capestang is the main town of the area, with a quay for mooring only a short walk from the centre.
Continuing east from Capestang, the Canal runs through Poilhes, which has good mooring facilities etc for boats, before it enters the 170m long Malpas Tunnel, which was the world’s first underground navigation. There is a “Cultural Tourism Centre” about 200m from the Canal near the tunnel which has, among other things, a terrace for viewing the famous Lake of Montady, dug by monks in the 13th Century and having an amazing pattern of drainage channels radiating from the centre like the spokes of a wheel.
If you make a short detour away from the Canal near the end of the tunnel to climb the hill of Ensérune to the site of the Oppidum d’Ensérune, an Iberian-Greek city founded in the 6th Century BC, you will find the Museum which now displays everything excavated from the site.
At the foot of the Ensérune Hill, close to the Etang de Montady, lies the old and attractive village of Colombiers with good facilities and a modern little port. Colombiers makes a good stop from which to visit the Oppidum d’ Ensérune Museum
Eastward from here we’re approaching the most amazing engineering work on the Canal, the eight-lock “staircase” of Fonserannes. The Fonserannes Lock is one of the most 
spectacular canal monuments, comprising eight linked basins enabling boats to climb or descend 21.5 metres over a distance of only 280 metres! It was adapted in 1856 when the 240m aqueduct over the River Orb was constructed, and further adapted to take 38m barges in 1983.
The Orb Aqueduct gives an excellent view of Béziers with its 13th Century St. Nazaire Cathedral. Béziers is the wine 
capital of the region, and canal designer Riquet’s birthplace. It was a Cathar stronghold, and was besieged in 1209 before the city was captured by the Crusaders, then sacked and the population massacred. Beziers has a large port and good range of facilities for boats of all sizes, but these are some way from the centre – probably easier to moor a little further east at Villeneuve-les-Béziers, as described below.
For cyclists, after leaving the Malpas Tunnel you need to follow the left bank until you reach the Fonsérannes Locks, when half-way down the flight there is a passage to the right bank and a path, also on the right, over a footbridge to rejoin the path on the right-hand-side over the Orb Aqueduct – you can follow this track right through to Portiragnes, and on to Agde where it leaves the canal close to the railway station. (At this point the cycle route is complete, although it’s possible to cycle along the road towards Marseillan to connect with a path along the right bank of the Canal as far as the Etang du Thau at Onglous Lighthouse)
Some four km east of Béziers itself, and just five km from the seaside, Villeneuve-les-Béziers is a medieval village which retains much of its charm, and is often quite busy – it has good mooring facilities, and a range of restaurants etc.
Continuing now towards Agde the Canal follows the coast passing Valras Plage (10 km) and Serignan Plage (8 km) through the village of Cers where there are mooring facilities which may be useful for those wanting to visit the beaches (including a large naturist beach between Serignan and Valras). The next port is Portiragnes, a small typically Languedocian village dating back to the 12th Century, and convenient for the beach at Portiragnes-Plage about two km away, where there is a range of seaside-style facilities including cafés, bars and restaurants.
Before reaching Agde the Canal crosses, or is crossed by, the River Libron – this river actually flows across the canal, at a point called the Ouvrages de Libron – it’s an unusual, possibly unique, engineering arrangement whereby a series of chambers is fitted with guillotine-type gates which allows the river to flow across the canal ahead of a boat, and then as the boat enters the subsequent chamber the river flows astern of it.
As one approaches Agde along the canal the number of craft moored beside the banks increases until you reach the 
world-famous “Round Lock” with its three sets of gates – one accessing the Canal in the direction of Béziers, one accessing the canal in the direction of the Etang de Thau and the third one giving access to the River Hérault, the quays of Agde itself and Grau d’Agde and the sea. (Hire cruisers are not permitted to enter seawards into the River Hérault, but it’s possible to walk the 5km alongside the river to the beaches at Tamarissière and Grau d’Agde)
Agde was founded by the Greeks some 2500 years ago, and is known as the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean on account of many of its buildings being constructed in black volcanic stone (basalt) It’s a lovely, and vibrant, old town with a 12th Century cathedral, and has an extensive range of shops, restaurants, museums and other attractions. Nearby is the modern resort of Cap d’Agde with its huge marina, choice of beaches, including the largest naturist beach/resort in Europe. Agde is also well connected by rail with a mainline station and trains to Sète, Montpellier, Toulouse etc.
From the Round Lock (Ecluse Rond) at Agde towards the Etang du Thau there is firstly a tree-lined stretch of canal to join the River Hérault before re-joining the canal again at Pradés Flood Lock. From there on the countryside changes – gone are the tree-lined banks which are replaced by reeds and marshland until the Canal du Midi emerges beside Les Onglous Lighthouse into the massive Etang du Thau itself.
The Etang du Thau is a huge (7,500 hectare) saltwater inland lagoon, separated from the sea by sand dunes. It can of course be crossed by boat and it’s about 18 kms from the Canal du Midi at Les Onglous at one end to the Canal du Rhone a Sete near Frontignan at the other end.
The Etang is surrounded by villages, many of which have, in recent years, become established small holiday resorts. Marseillan Plage and the spa town of Balaruc-les-Bains are probably the best known; the huge beach at Marseillan is also very popular..
Situated at the foot of Mont Saint Clair between the sea and the Etang, Séte is the biggest fishing port on the Mediterranean. 
It was, and to an extent still is, a commercial port as well as a fishing port, and ferry services to Corsica for example operate from here. Séte in fact is best known for its maritime connections and history, and its famous water-jousting contests, but out of the main summer season it’s a delightful spot just to visit, sit by one of its waterways, enjoy a drink or a meal and watch the world go by. Sadly during mid summer however it tends to get enormously busy, and grid-locked with traffic.
The Canal du Rhone à Sète
It’s possible to travel by boat from Sète to Beaucaire along the Canal du Rhone à Sète, with only one lock en-route. The entrance to the canal, which is difficult to spot, from the Etang du Thau is near Frontignan, and the route takes you past Palavas, Aigues-Mortes and Bellgarde.
Palavas-les-Flots is a seaside resort, with good moorings and easy access by rail to the regional capital of Montpellier (well worth a visit)
It’s also possible to take various smaller waterways
to visit places of interest such as Le Grau-du-Roi.
Aigues-Mortes, on the edge of the Camargue, is an ancient town again well worth visiting, and there are moorings available here too. It makes a good base to explore the interior of the Camargue
Bellgarde is a largish town and hire-boat base with good 
mooring facilities, useful before travelling on to Beaucaire which is a convenient centre for excursions to places such as Arles, Avignon and Tarascon with its magnificent ruined castle.
The Canal de la Robine, and the Canal du Jonction
The Robine flows into the old bed of the River Aude, the course of which was re-routed in 1686 in order for there to be a connection between the Canal and Narbonne.
Then in 1776 a decision was taken to dig a canal to join the River Aude to the Canal proper. The most interesting aspect of this work is the Gaillousty Overflow Weir , near Sallèles d’Aude, a building with sixteen sluice gates on one side, with four corresponding broad vaults on the other to form the start of a canal that runs to Capestang. The building is decorated with the coat of arms of the old province, and those of the Archbishop of Narbonne.
Although formally two canals the Canal du Jonction is only some five km long, and joins the Canal de la Robine via a short (0.6 km) navigable stretch of the River Aude.
This now provides a navigable route from the Canal du Midi near Le Somail to Narbonne and thence to the sea at Port La Nouvelle. Generally it’s a very pretty and interesting route, with magnificent umbrella pines shading the Canal du Jonction section, followed by the short willow-fringed section of the River Aude before entering the Canal de la Robine proper heading towards Narbonne.
There are useful mooring facilities at Narbonne, 
not far from the Roman Bridge, the historic Pont des Marchands, which has houses built all across it.
Narbonne is a large and historically important city, once the leading seaport between Italy and Spain (more important than Marseilles!) but the sea has now retreated leaving Narbonne as the wine capital of the the Corbières. Its main attractions are the 12th Century Palais Vieux and the restored, although incomplete, Cathedral of St. Just. There are several museums too. The surrounding countryside, covered in pines and scrub, and the popular resorts of Narbonne Plage and Saint Pierre-sur-Mer, are overlooked by the beautiful La Clape massif.
For cyclists, there is an interesting route starting along the towpath on the right bank of the Canal du Jonction to Gailhousty where life gets a little more complicated as you may have to cross the river Aude via a railway bridge, used, only infrequently we’re told, by SNCF tourist trains in summer and occasional freight trains! The alternative is a longish detour via Cuxac d’Aude. (Full details of cycling routes along the Canal de la Robine, and indeed along the whole of the Canal du Midi are given in an excellent little book “Le Canal du Midi à Velo” by Philippe Callas, but as far as we know this is only available in French)
If you risk crossing the River Aude via the railway bridge you can re-join the towpath on the right bank of the Canal de la Robine as far as the lock at Raonel, or you can take a shaded path on the left bank through to Narbonne. If you’re continuing towards Port la Nouvelle, stay on the left bank through Narbonne.
The remainder of the route along the Canal de la Robine is through salt lakes and marshes and lots of flamingos, all somewhat reminiscent of the Camargue. Port la Nouvelle is a modern port with mooring facilities, and good beaches within easy reach.
To cycle this last 20 km section from Narbonne to Port la Nouvelle along the (left bank) of the canal on the excellent cycle-path is quite straightforward, with easy access to the several Etangs to be found en-route.
A fully detailed Navigation & Tourist Guide (The Guide Fluvial Midi-Camargue) to these waters is available from Boating-in-France – see appendix 1 for details of how to order the Guides Fluvial
