Call Inntravel on
01653 617001

     our holidays > Cycling Holidays > France > Other Regions > Canal du Midi

Canal du Midi

Canalside paths, olive groves & vineyards

  • self-guided hotel-to-hotel cycling, luggage transported
  • delightful accommodation
  • scenic cycling along the canal
  • spend two nights in Carcassonne

The southern region of Languedoc-Roussillon is famed for its balmy Mediterranean climate and the many excellent vineyards which thrive in the rolling countryside of pretty villages, historic churches and towering cypress trees. Independent for many centuries, the locals speak a distinctive Provençal patois and defend their culture and heritage with pride and passion. Cutting through this neat and productive landscape is another source of great pride, the incredible Canal du Midi, built by Pierre-Paul Riquet, Baron de Bonrepos, in the 17th century during the reign of King Louis XIV.
The final leisurely section along the canal brought us in sight of the fairy-tale city of Carcassonne - a real highlight.
     
Linked to the Canal de Garonne, the Canal du Midi made the transport of goods between Bordeaux on the Atlantic Ocean and Marseilles on the Mediterranean Sea far quicker and safer - by avoiding the possibility of attack from the pirates and slave traders of North Africa’s Barbary Coast. There are no such worries today and the shady canal towpath makes for idyllic cycling through picturesque landscapes.
book this holiday print contact us
France

toggle