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.
MOUNT AIGOUAL
A mountain in the southern Massif Central, the highest point in the Gard ...Read more
THE ARESQUIERS
The Aresquiers area includes a part of the Ingril pond and the Vic pondRead 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
DAMSELFLY CAVE
A place that creates sensations and emotions, giving birth to a true moment ...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
MOUNT MIMAT AND THE HERMITAGE OF SAINT PRIVAT
A mountain offering exceptional views of Mende's surroundings, accessible ...Read more
L'ÉTANG DE BAGES
A village with four islands accessible by catamaran, kayak or rowing boat, ...Read more
THE BOATMEN OF THE TARN GORGES
La Malène boatmen form cooperative to launch tourism businessRead more
THE SUBLIME POINT
Sublime point, place fitted out to accomodate the public, a must for all ...Read more
VILLAGE DES PECHEURS DE L'AYROLLE
A fishermen's village where you can buy fresh fish during your morning ...Read more
UNDERWATER TRAIL
A trail offering a visit to discover the underwater fauna and flora of the ...Read more
DÉFILÉ DE LA PIERRE-LYS
Natural site with impressive gorges, classified in 1948 in Quillan.Read more
THE LUSSAN CONCLUSIONS
Les Concluses de Lussan, an interpretation trail with eagle cliffs and ...Read more
BEACH OF THE ORPELLIÈRES
This 1.5 km long wild beach on the left bank of the Orb is bordered by ...Read more
SAUTADET CASCADES
Waterfalls of Sautadet with giant potholes, with sandbanks and beaches ...Read more
HOUSE OF NATURE
House located in Lattes, organizing guided tours on request with free ...Read more
THE FRENCH VALLEY
Read moreTwo traditions coexist to explain the origin of the name of French Valley, which would refer to a time when the valley, located in the territory of the Wisigoths, was a possession of the Franks. The legend also wants the construction of Notre-Dame-de-Valfrancesque in Moissac to commemorate a victory of the Francs on the Sarrasins. We would have named the valley in their honor. Another version reported that during the Hundred Years War the valley was the only haven of peace, because it was not occupied by the English.