LA CITÉ MÉDIÉVALE DE CARCASSONNE
Take a tour of one of Europe's largest fortified towns! On the program: the ...Read more
CANAL DU MIDI
Read moreDesigned by Pierre-Paul Riquet (1609-1680) and motivated by the wheat trade, Canal du Midi was shaped by the hand of man. It began the era of the Industrial Revolution by allowing to rally, by its 240 kilometers, the Atlantic Ocean, via the Garonne, to the Mediterranean Sea. Its journey begins in Toulouse and ends in Marseillan - the other part connecting the Atlantic begins in Toulouse and ends in Castets-en-Dorthe (Canal de Garonne). It was made between 1667 and 1694 and two thousand workers were hired from January 1667. This number rose to twelve thousand, including six hundred women, to alleviate the shortage of men. The work was carried out in three major projects: the first from Toulouse to Trèbes (east of Carcassonne) which includes the basins and water supply systems, the second towards the south of Trèbes to the pond of Thau, and the third that was the construction of the harbour of Sète. To address the problem of leveling throughout the course, more than 60 locks had to be built, Riquet was perfectly conscious of helping to forge a symbol of the power of the 17th-century France, while giving the country a functional communication channel. He thus particularly made sure that the quality of the canal's architecture is worthy of this function. The bridges, the locks and the structures associated with them, as well as the tunnel entrances were designed and drawn with a great sense of aesthetic combined with technical constraints, the whole includes no less than 328 works of art and 63 locks. He was also extremely conscious of the impact of his work on the landscape and took great care to ensure that it was properly bordered by trees and by vegetation in harmony with the landscapes crossed. Since 1996, this performance has rightly been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Having the width of 10 to 20 meters and deep of about 2 meters, the canal passes to its highest point at the threshold of Naurouze, at the border of the department of Aude and Haute Garonne in the Lauragais. Its history with Carcassonne was quite complex since, at the completion of the first route, the canal was 2 kilometers from the city. A link between the city and the canal was suggested in 1686 by Vauban but it was only a century later, in 1787, that the construction of a new route was ordered and was completed in 1810 and that wouldl definitely set the canal in its current configuration.
CHÂTEAU COMTAL ET REMPARTS DE LA CITÉ DE CARCASSONNE
Take a tour of one of Europe's largest fortified towns! On the program: the ...Read more
LEUCATE TOURIST OFFICE
A tourist office with a store area, and an opportunity to attend the ...Read more
CHÂTEAU AUZIAS - CAVEAU
For several years now, Château d'Auzias has been a haven of peace for a ...Read more
CHÂTEAU DE CHALABRE
This castle offers a historical immersion through medieval activities, ...Read more
CASTLE OF QUILLAN
Castle on a promontory overlooking Quillan, testifying to the military ...Read more
LES VISITES ÉPIQUES
Alexandre and Jason, qualified guides and actors, take you on a tour of the ...Read more
ABBAYE DE SAINT-PAPOUL
Benedictine abbey with superb sculptures, a treasure trove of Romanesque ...Read more
LE TROUVE TOUT DU LIVRE
This spectacular bookshop with over 60,000 books on its shelves is a ...Read more
LE MOULIN À PAPIER
A cultural site dedicated to the cult of paper, a place where paper is made ...Read more
SPIKTRI STREET ART UNIVERSE
Works designed to raise awareness of the absurdity of a self-destructive ...Read more
ABBAYE DE FONTFROIDE
Abbaye de Fontfroide in Narbonne, an incredibly well-preserved abbey that ...Read more
MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS
The Museum of the Arts features a collection of paintings related to the ...Read more
TERRA VINEA
Discover the underground cathedral 80 m below ground with sound and light. ...Read more
BATEAU LA CAPITANE
Bateau La Capitane allows you to discover the "Canal des Deux-Mers" from ...Read more
OFFICE DE TOURISME DE LA CÔTE DU MIDI - NARBONNE
The Tourist Office is located in Narbonne's historic center, on the banks ...Read more
ABBAYE DE CAUNES-MINERVOIS
Visit to discover a Benedictine abbey of Occitan Romanesque style with ...Read more
GOUFFRE GÉANT DE CABRESPINE
Renowned the world over for its rich mineralogical heritage, this chasm ...Read more
J'EMMES LES MINÉRAUX
A former wine cellar presenting France's largest amethyst exhibition, ...Read more