Canal du Midi

The Canal du Midi in southern France goes from Toulouse to Marseillan, helps join the Atlantic with the Mediterranean and is one of Europe’s best canal cruises.

The Canal du Midi begins in Toulouse and runs for 240 kms (149 miles), reaching the Mediterranean at Marseillan, near Sete. In Toulouse it connects to the Garonne river and its side canal, which run west to the Atlantic. The linking of these two great seas, discussed since Roman times, was finally realised in the 17th century through the determination of one man, Pierre-Paul Riquet.

Pierre-Paul Riquet

Riquet, the son of a count, was born in Bezier in 1609. His lucrative job as controller of Languedoc’s salt tax made him a wealthy man. When he retired at the age of 58, he turned to his long-held dream of building the Canal du Midi.

Riquet saw the economic and strategic advantages of a waterway which bypassed the long journey around Spain and persuaded the king, Louis XIV, to support the project. He overcame the main obstacle – a steady water supply – by harnessing the springs and streams of the Black Mountain into a huge reservoir and channeling it to fill the canal.

History of the Canal du Midi

Construction began in 1667 and took 14 years to complete. Riquet spent his entire fortune on building the canal, but sadly he died six months before it opened, in 1681. For over 200 years the canal was a great commercial success. Although it declined with the coming of the railroads, it remains an engineering marvel.

The Canal du Midi Today

Today the Canal du Midi is used solely by pleasure boats. Its tranquil banks are lined with plane trees, some 300 years old, while the old towpaths are used for cycling and walking paths.

Half of the 63 locks are still manually operated, and the oval lock basins, stone bridges and canal tunnels add to its beauty. Home to a variety of birds, fish and wildlife, the canal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.