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Canal du Midi ~ Carcassonne ~ Robine Canal ~ Narbonne

The sun-drenched South of France home of vineyards, sunflower fields and the world-famous, historic, Canal du Midi.

Picturesque Languedoc is France’s most productive wine region with many delicious ‘drink now’ varieties on sale, direct from the vineyards (free tastings welcomed) that border the waterway, for just a few euros per bottle. If at the end of the canal there is the great city of Toulouse (home to France’s space and aeronautics industries) , then half-way along there is the amazing medieval ‘city’ of Carcassonne, famed for its huge, fortified, hilltop castle – a favoured location for many heroic swashbuckling films.

Branching off the Canal du Midi near Capestang village (with a much-photographed low stone arch canal bridge) the Robine Canal, bordered by umbrella pine trees, connects with the Mediterranean, passing through the must-see town of Narbonne. Eastwards, the canal passes through the Cathar stronghold of Beziers. And at Agde (founded by the Ancient Greeks in 500BC) it is possible to sail upstream from the unique round lock along 10km of the calm, clear and ‘secret’ River Herault.

Read more about the Châteaux of the Midi region

Cruise the Midi

Cruise the Canal du Midi

You can cruise the justly famous World Heritage Canal du Midi and its locality piloting your own self-drive hire boat, or being pampered in fine style aboard a luxury hotel barge.

Hiring your own holiday boat is an ideal way to explore and experience the pleasures and treasures that the Canal du Midi has to offer.
Hire boats are self-catering and self-drive which allows you freedom to plan your own day and create your perfect trips.

Hotel barges are elegant and comfortable, converted from traditional vessels or created as cruising boutique hotels from new. They come with a crew so that your every need is looked after and they will also plan and deliver your itinerary.
With a wide range of sizes, comfort levels and prices, you’ll find your perfect one.

Self-drive hire boating holiday canal barge cruise France Canal du Midi Carcassonne

Self-Drive Canal Boating – Canal du Midi

Go your own way. Explore the pleasures and treasures of the Canal du Midi.

Self-Drive

Hotel barge luxury cruise France Canal du Midi Carcassonne

Luxury Hotel Barging – Canal du Midi

Lie back and let the skipper and crew take care of everything. Great food. Fine wine. Unique.

Hotel Barges

Top tips for visitors

  • Buying a good guide book is a great idea and most will give you ideas for cafes and restaurants along the route. It is a good idea to plan ahead just in case the shops are closed as many supermarkets are closed on a Sunday.
  • Essentials for your luggage include insect repellent and after-bite, a cardigan or sweater (even in the summer there can be a strong breeze) and of course sun cream. Taking squashable luggage (to fit into your boat’s storage space) is an excellent idea.
  • If you are self-driving your boat, getting (and reading in advance) a pilot guide book is strongly recommended
    > Canal du Midi navigation books and guides <.
  • As well as travel by road and by water, most of the large towns along the Canal du Midi have excellent rail links.

Midi Places

– [below] In the region: Minervois, Minerve, Canal du Midi, Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne –

Minerve ©Ian Cameron | Others ©FW, wikimedia, n/a

There will be so many highlights on your Canal du Midi cruise, with each visit bringing new adventures but here are a few popular stops along the way….


Agde

Round lock Agde Canal du MidiThis charming seaside village is located on the river Herault and is one of the oldest villages in France. As well as the famous round lock, Agde is known for the distinctive black basalt used in its local buildings. The resort of Cap d’Agde also has some of Languedoc’s best beaches, which is why it is home to Europe’s largest naturist colony!


Beziers

Beziers Canal de MidiThe historic centre of Beziers is very picturesque with winding cobbled streets and an array of good shops and restaurants. It plays host to some stunning architecture including the Saint Nazaire Cathedral and Le Pont Vieux, the stone bridge crossing the Orb which dates back to the Middle Ages. In August Beziers plays host to The Feria, famous for bull fighting and street parties, with up to a million tourists visiting during this time. With an international airport, Beziers can be a good place to start or end your Canal du Midi experience. Ryanair and Flybe both fly into Beziers.


Canal de la Robine and Narbonne

Narbonne Canal de MidiIf you branch off the Canal du Midi near the village of Capestang (with a much-photographed low stone arch canal bridge) the Robine (or Nouvelle) Canal, bordered by umbrella pine trees, connects with the Mediterranean, and passes through the must-see town of Narbonne. The major tourist attraction here is Narbonne Cathedral. It provides a fascinating insight into the history of the city as a change in fortune during the 14th Century meant that the building was never finished. Although the side chapels, sacristy and courtyard remain intact, much of the ambitious building work simply stopped and is frozen in time. Narbonne also has a good nearby beach area.


Le Somail

Le Somail Canal de MidiA very picturesque part of the Canal du Midi takes you through the gorgeous little village of Le Somail. Here you will find some nice places to eat and a fabulous second hand bookshop which was transported brick by brick from Paris.


Carcassonne

Carcassonne, Canal du Midi - la Cité fortified town / castle (c.1300)Carcassonne is home to the famous La Cité – the world’s largest medieval fortress and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The spectacular hilltop castle has been used as a location in many films, the most famous being Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Carcassonne is a great place to explore and has a lovely square in its centre with some good cafes and restaurants. Carcassonne also has an international airport, again with Ryanair serving it.


Castelnaudary

Market Canal de MidiCastelnaudary is a market town and home of the cassoulet (a heavy stew of duck, Toulouse sausage and haricot beans). There is even an annual festival celebrating it at the end of August! British chef Rick Stein even featured the Castelnaudary cassoulet in his programme Rick Stein’s French Odyssey. As well as delicious food, the town is famous for the Grand Bassin, the largest open area of water in the canal.


Toulouse

Toulouse Canal du MidiToulouse is France’s fourth largest city and home to the European aerospace industry. It also has a large university and is apparently the best city to study in in France and within the top 50 student cities in the world. Toulouse has lots of stunning architecture, with many of the buildings made of terracotta bricks, earning it the nickname la Ville Rose (the pink city). It too is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Basilica of St Sernin.

In 2007 a bike rental scheme was introduced across the city with bicycles available to hire daily, weekly or monthly from automated stations. In fact, a great way to see any of the towns and villages that line the Canal du Midi is to get on a bike! Most hire boats can be supplied with bikes and hotel barges usually always have cycles included, so you can easily hop off to go exploring along the way.

Toulouse has a large international airport with many operators flying direct.


Midi Geography

Map of the Canal du Midi

Canal du Midi map

The Midi and Languedoc

Spanning the regions of the Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées, the Canal du Midi boasts some unique and truly breathtaking landscapes.

This delightful canal’s green waters twist and turn through the countryside, following the contours, bordered by an avenue of thousands of plane trees whose exposed roots interlock at the water’s edge, reinforcing the banks.

There are 328 structures across the Canal du Midi, from aqueducts and bridges to tunnels and locks (écluses in French). Unlike most locks, these are all oval, making them unique, although the most famous is actually the Agde Round Lock. Being round, it can even allow a boat to turn around. It also has three sets of lock gates, each with a different water level – a very unique sight. There are actually 86 working locks to enjoy navigating on your cruise. Most ecluses are now user-operated – by the end of the first day you will certainly be a master.

Canal du Midi lock

Wine from the Midi region – Minervois, Corbières, Herault and Pays d’Oc

Wine Vineyard Canal de Midi
Remember, you can’t come to France without sampling the vin rouge! Picturesque Languedoc is France’s most productive wine region with many delicious ‘drink now’ varieties on sale, direct from the vineyards (free tastings welcomed) that border the waterway, for just a few euros per bottle. The canal passes through a great number of wine growing areas, including the Herault, the Aude, Minervois and Corbieres. You will also see many fields of sunflowers, meander through little villages and past cafes and see a wide variety of wildlife.

Wine and the French Waterways >

Getting to The Midi
Hotel barges often collect and return guests to a pre-agreed Toulouse or Narbonne hotel. French international airports are at Toulouse, Bordeaux – and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. There are also European-flight airports at Carcassonne and Montpellier. TGV express train stations are located at Toulouse, Carcassonne, Narbonne and Montpellier; and many other towns in the region have railway connections.

Midi History

History of the Canal du Midi

It was the Romans who first had the idea of building a waterway to join the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, but the task proved impossible for many practical reasons. Even the great Leonardo da Vinci was unable to contemplate the task. In fact, it wasn’t until 1667 that construction actually began, under the reign of Louis XIV. Pierre-Paul Riquet designed and built the Canal Royal de Languedoc (as it was then known) with the aim of transporting wheat, wine and textiles. It took 12,000 people (surprisingly for this period, it was women who made up a large part of the workforce) to make it a reality, but it opened on May 15th 1681. However, it wasn’t until two centuries later, when his canal was linked to the Canal du Garonne, that Riquet’s dream of reaching the Atlantic was fulfilled.

Canal du Midi map

The Canal Royal de Languedoc was renamed the Canal du Midi during the French Revolution, and by 1856 it carried over 100,000 tonnes of cargo and a million passengers a year. However, by the following year commerce had almost dried up due to the opening of the Bordeaux to Sete railway.

The combination of stunning scenery, wide variety of nature, avenue of trees and of course the sheer engineering prowess and unique locks that run the length of the canal, have given the Canal du Midi a renaissance. Since the 1990s tourists have flocked to the world renowned stretch of water and its popularity continues to grow.

To ensure the future appearance of the Canal du Midi, a huge replanting operation is currently underway, with thousands of new trees being planted to preserve the character of the canal for years to come.