Sail away on the Canal des Deux Mers, an exceptional feat of engineering that links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, running through Toulouse and Moissac on the way. The Canal des Deux Mers invites you to discover its unique atmosphere, its landscapes and its way of life, either by boat or along its tow-paths.
The Canal des Deux Mers, a unique example of water engineering, is shaded by trees along its entire course. It consists of the Canal du Midi, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Register, and the Canal de Garonne.
This historical waterway was originally designed for transporting goods. It is now undergoing a whole new lease of life thanks to professional players in the tourism sector who manage it, bring it to life, and offer you a wide selection of ways in which to navigate and explore the canal.
Let us follow the Canal du Midi first. Designed in the 17th century by Pierre-Paul Riquet (1604-1680) and inaugurated in 1681, the Canal du Midi links Sète to Toulouse.
Just imagine: a 241km manmade canal - 12,000 workers and peasants were employed to build it, 45,000 trees were planted to reinforce the banks and 350 engineered structures were built (bridges, aqueducts and locks). This handful of statistics gives an idea of the sheer scale and complexity of Pierre-Paul Riquet's creation.
Riquet was the mastermind behind the invention of the supply system which feeds the Canal, the cornerstone of which is Saint-Ferréol Lake, 60 km south-east of Toulouse.
The Canal du Midi hands over the reins to the Canal de Garonne in Toulouse. This 200- kilometre-long canal opened for navigation in 1856 and flows towards Montech and Moissac, following a westbound course before flowing into the Gironde Estuary. The Canal de Garonne completed the link between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, making Pierre-Paul Riquet's dream a reality.
Coloured barges and cruise boats cross paths in the shade of the plane trees along the Canal des Deux Mers, adding to the attraction of Toulouse and Moissac, the two Major Historical Sites of the Midi-Pyrénées Region. Drifting along the canal’s green waters also provides an alternative view of the landscapes and villages that are typical of the Midi Toulousain and Moissac areas.
The canal’s history, its majestic course, its ports and harbourmasters’ offices, its locks, its Mediterranean feel and rural charm make it a choice destination for river tourism in Europe.
Keys to discovery
> As the prime waterway for river tourism, the Canal des Deux Mers is managed by professional operators offering a wide range of discovery tours and holidays: cruise boats for commented tours (with or without on-board meals), sleeper boats that can be rented out for a week’s holiday afloat without a licence, barges that have been turned into small traditional bed & breakfast establishments, restaurant-boats docked at the quayside offering local cuisine in an original setting, boat shops, etc.
> Like the Canal du Midi, the Canal de Garonne is dotted with a large number of stunning engineered structures, such as the Cacor Canal Bridge in Moissac, which carries the Canal de Garonne across the River Tarn along a distance of 356 metres.
> Go back to the source of the Canal du Midi, a Major Midi-Pyrenees Historical Site, an unmissable trip to see the Saint-Ferréol Lake, the reservoir for the Canal des Deux Mers. Sorèze is close by with its Royal Abbey-School. The Canal du Midi Museum & Gardens, one of a kind in France, are to be found on the shores of the Saint-Ferréol Lake. The Museum introduces visitors to the Canal du Midi adventure and to the charismatic figure of Pierre-Paul Riquet, the man who designed it.
> Cycle along the Canal des Deux Mers. The old tow paths along the canal lend themselves perfectly to walking and cycling. The Canal des Deux Mers Green Route offers 121 km of specially designed cycle paths running from Port-Lauragais in the Haute-Garonne to Lamagistère in the Tarn-et-Garonne, passing through Toulouse on the way.
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