The river Garonne through great vineyards     Lands of plenty and fortified villages     The river Lot, from cliffs to fortified castles     All Gascony along the river Baïse     Roman art wonders and terroir delicacies     Along Riquet's canal, discovery of Unesco Heritage sites     The fabulous Canal Royal, among art and history     Mediterranean cruise to Camargue   Pierre Paul Riquet: born in Béziers, in 1604, this modest tax collector will make his dream come true: the Canal du Midi. [more]

The fabulous Canal Royal, among art and history District Area from the Somail to Sète, towards Béziers, the Bassin de Thau, and the coast of Languedoc When you leave the City of Carcassonne the meandering Canal Royal plays with an environment of wide expanses of vineyards reminding us that we are in the first area for wine production, such as Cabardès, Minervois, Corbières, all AOC (controlled origin). In the waters of the Canal you will see the reflection of wonderful villages, Colombiers, Poilhes… When approaching Béziers sailing through the 9 locks of Fonséranes or gliding on the Canal Bridge, the city looks quite spectacular. The Ensérune hillfort, the old fishermen's village of Marseillan. And now Sète the favourite island of Paul Valéry, the philosopher and poet born here, then the Etang de Thau (a lagoon) waiting for the gourmets to visit and enjoy the oyster farms products. The area from the Somail to Port-la-Nouvelle An old branch of the river Aude, converted into a canal in the XVllth century, and the joining Canal, which was developed a century later, opened a new waterway from the Somail to Narbonne and further towards Port-la-Nouvelle. In Sallèles d'Aude the elegant mansions let their admirers enjoy their reflection in the Canal. Amphoralis, with its museum for Gallo Roman pottery, shows through its modern architecture that it has definitively entered future. The extraordinary "épanchoir" of Gailhousty, (kind of overflow) listed in the National Trust, tells us we are near Narbonne, the capital during the Roman Times. To get to the seaside resort of Port la Nouvelle, you have to go through wide wild pieces of ground, the Lagoons of Bargès and Sigean and you can catch a glimpse of the lush vegetation of Sainte Lucie island, nearby. Highlights Le Somail: a hamlet created by Pierre Paul Riquet, where you can still see a chapel, an interesting ice pit, and the ancient buildings of an inn. Quite a few craftsmen have settled here, like painters, potters and for a dozen years it has housed the most important library for old books, in France. Narbonne: a town of Art and History, with its famous "Palais des Archevêques" (archbishopric Palace) and the Basilica.You will be deeply moved by the visit of the native house of Charles Trénet, the French singer, which was turned into a museum. You must not miss the Abbey of Fontfroide, built in the Xlth century, reshaped in the XVlllth, and tastefully restored at the beginning of the XXth. Here you will be dreaming and meditating through the chapel, the cloister, the rose garden and the farm. Béziers: the native town of Pierre Paul Riquet, inventor of the "Canal du Midi".You must not miss the Cathedral of Saint Nazaire, (built from the Xllth to the XVth century). Agde-Cap d'Agde: first French seaside resort, one of the most important nudist centre in Europe. The Ephèbe Museum, the Romanesque church of Saint Etienne, fortified in the Xllth century. There you can play tennis and golf. A cruise From Carcassonne, a week's cruise, to Agde, 125 kms long (78 miles), 36 locks, 25 hours navigation. From Colombiers, a return cruise, to the Somail, within a weekend. 68 kms (42 miles), no lock, and 8 hours navigation.

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