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.
LE MOULIN À PAPIER
A cultural site dedicated to the cult of paper, a place where paper is made ...Read more
J'EMMES LES MINÉRAUX
A former wine cellar presenting France's largest amethyst exhibition, ...Read more
L'ÉTANG DE BAGES
A village with four islands accessible by catamaran, kayak or rowing boat, ...Read more
VILLAGE DES PECHEURS DE L'AYROLLE
A fishermen's village where you can buy fresh fish during your morning ...Read more
MONTOLIEU - VILLAGE DU LIVRE ET DES ARTS
Discover Montolieu, a book village with its Museum of Arts and Crafts, and ...Read more
DÉFILÉ DE LA PIERRE-LYS
Natural site with impressive gorges, classified in 1948 in Quillan.Read more
CANAL DE LA ROBINE
The Canal de la Robine is a Unesco World Heritage Site, with one of the few ...Read more
THE ARBORETUM PLANEL
This park has many rare tree species from all over the world, such as the ...Read more
THE GREEN MAZE
The green labyrinth of Nebias, a place for a magical walk that contains ...Read more
FAIRY CAVE
Read moreSouth of Leucate, the cave has been classified Historic Monument since 1924. Ten years earlier, Theodore Héléna discovered six terracotta statuettes dating from the first or second century after J.-C, now visible at the Sigean Museum, which probably represented Greco-Roman deities (Aphrodite, Mercury and Minerve).
The cave itself has 5 siphons, 120 metres long and reaching a depth of 34 metres.
CHASSEURS DE TRÉSORS
A 2.5 km walking trail takes the whole family to the heights of the Massif ...Read more
SAINT LUCIA REGIONAL NATURE RESERVE
The reserve is home to superb landscapes, and the trails are ideal for ...Read more
CARRIÈRE DE MARBRE ROUGE
Caunes-Minervois is the red marble capital of the world, designed to be the ...Read more
AUX SENS DU BOIS (ÉBÉNISTE)
Two cabinetmakers open the doors of their workshop Aux Sens du Bois for the ...Read more
AIDÉE BERNARD (CRÉATION PAPIER)
Plastic artist in Campagne-sur-Aude proposing training courses and ...Read more
CASCADE DE CUBSERVIÈS
Cubserviès waterfall, 90 m high, a must-see in Mas-Cabardès, a steep ...Read more
SEUIL DE NAUROUZE - LIGNE DE PARTAGE DES EAUX
The Naurouze weir, 12 km west of Castelnaudary on the D611, is an ...Read more
ÉTANG DE PISSEVACHES
Read moreThe pond of Pissevaches is located at the mouth of the Aude. It communicates with the sea through a grau which opens and closes according to the sea's movements. It is thus fed by the alternation of salt water and fresh water causing a soil rich in sediment. Landscape diversity also since it is practically dry in summer. This site is a lagoon complex including a zone of sansouire, a heath of salicornes, that the presence of nearly 200 species of birds has transformed into one of the best ornithological sites of the department.
THE FIOUGAGE FARM
Read moreHere, alongside the sheep herd, you can see deer on day-parole, which sometimes takes a donkey. children particularly appreciate this part of the visit during which the animals can be approached. At the same time as Mr. Durand explains the lifestyles of these animals, he leads his visitors to a renovated building where old machines are presented that tell the work of the breeder and the traditions of a country. A small exhibition is devoted to the work of wool and the visit ends on the impressive collection of deer wood preserved since the creation of the breeding.