Canal du Midi
World Heritage from Toulouse to the Mediterranean
Pierre-Paul Riquet from Béziers built the canal in 1666–1681. It's 240 kilometres long and links Toulouse with the Étang de Thau. Hire a boat without a licence in, for example, Homps or Capestang, or cycle the towpath. World Heritage since 1996.
UNESCO World Heritage
Canal du Midi
- World Heritage since
- 1996
The 240-kilometre canal from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau was dug in 1666–1681 under the direction of Pierre-Paul Riquet and was one of the greatest engineering feats of its time: 63 locks, aqueducts, a tunnel and dams in the Montagne Noire that supply the canal with water. Together with the Canal de Garonne it links the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Visit: The towpath along the canal is perfect for cycling – long stretches are tarmac or compacted gravel. You can hire a canal boat without a boat licence. Don't miss the Fonserannes lock staircase near Béziers.
43.2700° N, 2.8500° E
Nearby
Minerve13 km · The hill village where the first great Cathar pyre burned- Oppidum d'Ensérune & Malpas22 km · A Gallic town, a circular field and a canal tunnel
- Fonserannes locks, Béziers29 km · The lock staircase on the Canal du Midi
Pont-canal de l'Orb30 km · The canal that flies over the river
Béziers30 km · The cathedral city above the Orb
Villerouge-Termenès34 km · Where the last Cathar Perfect was burned in 1321- Valras-Plage36 km · The nearest beach to Béziers
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Château de Termes38 km · The castle that held out against Simon de Montfort for four months