Stretching 240 km from Toulouse to the Thau lagoon, this engineering masterpiece designed by Pierre Paul Riquet in the 17th century has 64 locks and more than 350 engineering structures.
Agde. Take the time to stroll through the old quarters and admire the houses all built from black volcanic stone.
St Stephen's Cathedral (12th century), Agde Beach Museum "Grau d'Agde", "Cap d'Agde 6 km away, nautical center at Cap d'Agde
Port Cassafières. Bordered by the Canal du Midi, surrounded by vineyards, and backed by the hill, the village developed around its 12th-century church. Portiragnes-Plage, 4 km away, is a green resort, ideal for family holidays with its long, gently sloping sandy beach.
Feria in July, 12th-century basalt church (classified as a historic monument), Roque Haute Nature Reserve: a top-notch botanical station, classified in 1975 (guided tours only).
Béziers. From the top of the Fonserannes staircase, the view of the Orb valley towards St Nazaire Cathedral invites you to discover this historic city, the birthplace of Pierre Paul Riquet and long the capital of table wine in France. The Friday flower market adds a splash of color to this very lively city.
Churches, cathedral, museums, and arenas (ferias). Château Saint-Bauzille, Château de Raissac...
Fonsérannes. Magnificent staircase of 7 consecutive locks.
Colombiers. Charming little village, Colombiers will welcome you in its marina. The large bief ends with an exceptional work, as it leads to the magnificent staircase of seven locks of Fonserannes.
Cellar, Malpas tunnel, and pre-Roman oppidum of Ensérune.
Capestang. This former commercial port has become a pleasant stop, very popular with boaters. The village center is just a short walk below the canal.
Collegiate church and 15th-century castle, wine cellar.
Le Somail. A must-see tourist and cultural stop. Many artisans will show you their talents.
Hat museum, Mrs. Gourgues' old bookshop, Bleu Indigo workshop, tropical painting.
Argens-Minervois. Medieval village, it is outlined with its typical castle with 2 towers.
Homps. Small town with barely 600 inhabitants, Homps is a former Gallo-Roman village, located on the Canal du Midi on the edge of Minervois and the Argent Double wine-growing area.
The remains of the castle of the Knights of Malta, St Stephen's Church.
Marseillette. This village is located at the southern end of the Minervois wine-growing region, and the local cellar will help you get to know these excellent wines.
Trèbes. Pretty village a stone's throw from the shops. An excellent wine cellar is located on the port's docks.
St-Etienne Church (late 13th century), Languedoc Gothic with painted corbels with different figures (late 13th and 14th century), 320 in number (exhibition in a chapel of the church).
Carcassonne. Fortified city with origins from the Roman Empire (3rd and 4th centuries), later becoming a garrison town, it slowly fell into ruin before being restored towards the end of the 19th century by architect Viollet le Duc.
City of Carcassonne enlivened by numerous festivals. Museum of Fine Arts, the city of birds. Giant Chasm of Cabrespine (24 km from Carcassonne)
Leisure: swimming pool, Raymond Chésa leisure center (golf, forest acrobatic course, ...). Walking route from the City to the leisure center: 3 to 4 hours walk (round trip); 1h to 1h30 by bike (round trip); Marking: white and red on the GR36.
Bram. This village is built on a circular plan with the 13th-century church at its center.
House of Archeology, church classified as a historic monument.
Villepinte. Located 800 m from the canal, you can see the works of glassmaker Thierry Deloffre as well as objects left on deposit by other artists. Different glassworking techniques such as stained glass, blowing, and fusing are on display.
Castelnaudary. World capital of cassoulet halfway between Toulouse and Carcassonne, 1 hour from the sea and the Pyrenees.
Cugarel mill, St Michel collegiate church, The Apothecary, Our Lady of Pity Chapel.
Port Lauragais - Le Segala. Port created 20 years ago, you will find good docking points and a shop offering local products. Not far from Naurouze, located at an altitude of 190 m, the col de Narouze is the highest point of the canal. In a park planted with magnificent cedars and plane trees, you will see the traces of a huge octagonal basin that served as a settling basin and an additional reservoir for water from the Montagne Noire.
Watermill, obelisk erected by the descendants of Riquet.
Baziège. The Lastours castle, a former hunting lodge of Catherine de Medici, houses an excellent restaurant and an antique shop.
Montgiscard. An old town founded in the 13th century by Alphonse de Poitiers.
Gothic church with a Toulouse bell tower, the Foirail café with an intricately decorated wrought-iron terrace.
Castanet-Tolosan. A town that is part of the suburbs of Toulouse where you will find a lively shopping center.
Toulouse. All made of brick, tile, and light, Toulouse, the pink city, is devoted to the cult of arts, science, and research. Home of Bel canto, Toulouse has retained a passion for music and shows: dance, theater, concerts...
Georges-Labit Museum (Oriental objects), Botanical Garden, Augustins Museum (art evolution), Bemberg Foundation, the Jacobins convent, the Capitol.
38 km - 13 mechanical locks. The branch of La Nouvelle, which connects the Canal du Midi to Port la Nouvelle, is actually composed of two canals: the junction canal, 5 km long, and the Canal de la Robine, 31 km long.
Port La Nouvelle. Here is a rare opportunity to arrive at a major seaport via the canals. The beach is nearby, and several good seafood restaurants are in town.
Jugnes Estate (reconstructed skeletons of whale and sperm whale), La Vieille Nouvelle (ruins of Vauban's semaphore tower), Fontfroide Abbey.
African Reserve of Sigean (6 km from Port la Nouvelle): The semi-natural wildlife park of nearly 300 hectares is large enough for the 3800 animals (lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, crocodiles...).
St Lucie Island. It is a nature reserve of exceptional beauty. Seven kilometers of well-marked paths will take you through a landscape of shrubs and pines to amazing viewpoints. The traces of wild boars and deer also show the presence of abundant wildlife. About 2 hours walk.
Narbonne. The entrance to the city is quite spectacular. After passing the Narbonne lock, you will go under the Pont des Marchands, one of the few bridges in France with houses on it. This bridge was part of the Pont Vetus, which carried the Roman road - the Via Domitia - across the Aude.
Archbishop's Palace and its Museum of Art and History, the unfinished St Just Cathedral, St Paul Serge Basilica, one of the most beautiful covered markets in France.
Sallèles d'Aude. A Roman pottery workshop operated from the 1st to the 3rd century was recently discovered near Sallèles. Fourteen kilns with their work surfaces, settling basins, wells, dwellings, and an open-pit quarry are on display.
The Calvary with cloister, Notre Dame Church, Devil's Wall.
Port la Robine. Port-la-Robine is part of the Corbières Wine Route that runs from Carcassonne to Narbonne, lazily following the Canal du Midi.
The Cesse Canal Bridge, a remarkable work of the Canal des Deux-Mers.