THE CIRCUS OF GAVARNIE AND ITS BIG WATERFALL..
The mountain closes in on a glacial valley to create a splendid natural ...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.
PEACH MERLE CAVE
Immerse yourself in the history of mankind with this cave, which contains ...Read more
MOUNT AIGOUAL
A mountain in the southern Massif Central, the highest point in the Gard ...Read more
THE SPANISH BRIDGE
One of the great sites of Occitanie, popular in winter for tobogganing, ...Read more
PADIRAC SINKHOLE
The abyss is classified as a major geological curiosity, the vertiginous ...Read more
THE ARESQUIERS
The Aresquiers area includes a part of the Ingril pond and the Vic pondRead more
THE CIRCUS AND THE CRESTS OF THE LILY
The cirque and the crests of the Lys, a place seducing by the beauty of its ...Read more
PANORAMA OF MONT SAINT-CLAIR
Discover Mont Saint-Clair in Sète, a place offering panoramic views from ...Read more
CLAMOUSE CAVE
Clamouse cave, discovered in 1945, where you can admire stalagmite flows, ...Read more
LAKE OF GAUBE
One of the most beautiful of the Pyrenean chain, easy to access and ...Read more
DAMSELFLY CAVE
A place that creates sensations and emotions, giving birth to a true moment ...Read more
CAVE DWELLINGS
Caves unique by their great beauty with twelve rooms more magical than the ...Read more
NIAUX CAVE
The Salon Noir cave in Niaux boasts some stunning paintings dating back ...Read more
LAKE OF SAINT-FERRÉOL
This lake nestled in a beautiful setting is a popular destination for a day ...Read more
TRIMOUNS TALC QUARRY - TALCANEO
This is the world's largest open-air talc quarry. At an altitude of 1,800 ...Read more
THE ROLAND RIFT
This mythical site in the Pyrenees marks the border between France and ...Read more
THE BELVEDERE OF THE GORGES DU CHASSEZAC
A popular lookout point for rock-climbing in the narrowest and wildest part ...Read more
Dargilan Cave
Dargilan cave or pink cave, discovered in 1880, where you can observe ...Read more
THE PTEROSAURUS BEACH
A long time ago, this beach was the meeting place of pterosaurs and other ...Read more