A Day by the Canal du Midi

Since relocating to Toulouse, we've taken up cycling enthusiastically. Living near the historic Canal du Midi, a paramount historical and scenic landmark in southern France, has spurred us on.

A Day by the Canal du Midi

Cycling along the canal or cruising downstream is a renowned tourist activity in this region. The Canal du Midi is acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, adorned with three hundred twenty-eight bridges, locks, and forty-five thousand trees lining its banks.

A String of Emerald Gems Encompassing Ancient Cities

Originating from Toulouse, the Canal du Midi stretches 240km, traversing numerous cities before culminating in the coastal town of Agde. While passing the canal daily in Toulouse, it wasn't until a weekend excursion to the ancient city of Carcassonne that we truly grasped the grandeur and romanticism of this masterpiece. On an early autumn morning, the Canal du Midi appears remarkably fresh and tranquil.

The tall trees along the canal have started changing colors, creating patches of yellow and green interspersed. Just a few months ago, behind these trees were fields of vibrant sunflowers. Closer to the ground, colorful wildflowers bloom abundantly.

From Carcassonne, we cycled about ten miles to Trèbes. This charming little town welcomes visitors with a bridge adorned with flowers, exuding a delightful charm. Tourists on bike tours often stop here for a break, enjoying coffee and breakfast as Trèbes embodies the romantic beauty of a countryside village in southern France. Trèbes also served as a 'port' where canal boats would often stop for rest.

Construction of the Canal du Midi began in 1667, involving 12,000 laborers and engineers over twelve years. The canal was dug to create a waterway traversing France from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, eliminating the need for ships to navigate around the coast of Spain.

Before digging the canal, the French had to build the largest dam in Europe at the time on the Laudot River to supply water to the project.

After breakfast, we set out to explore the locks. The Canal du Midi has significant elevation changes. To regulate or alter the flow, the original canal designers constructed 103 locks. Each lock is operated by two large iron gates, heavy but designed for ease of operation. Descending involves a boat entering the lock, opening the gates to release water, and raising the boat. Ascending reverses the process: the boat enters the lock, the gates close to trap water, and the gates on the other side open to allow water from the higher level to fill the lock and raise the boat.

In addition to the 'locking' process, at least two people on the bank must secure the boat with ropes to the mooring posts on either side of the canal to prevent it from slipping or colliding with the iron gates. This is a fascinating and intricate activity. Initially, boats on the canal were manually operated, then pulled by horses along the banks before steam engines took over. Navigation on the Canal du Midi only declined as railways became more common. Commercial activity on the canal ceased in 1980, making way for tourism.

Not just a symbol of its era in scale and engineering, when completed, Canal du Midi also became one of the most beautiful landscapes in France. Alongside the emerald waters lay rows of poetic plane trees, accompanied by winding footpaths. On the banks, fields of wildflowers compete for attention, while ducks and boats drift leisurely in the water. Canal du Midi has sections below the canal's flow that resemble small streams, truly unique. From a distance, it appears as though there's a large bridge spanning a small stream, but upon closer inspection, the bridge's span is a crystal-clear stream. Charming tourist boats can often be seen on the canal during spring, summer, and autumn, meticulously designed. Typically, tourists rent these boats for about seven days to journey along the canal, stopping at towns to purchase food and spending the night by the banks.

Carcassonne: A Medieval Fortress

Along the Canal du Midi are many beautiful ancient cities and towns. Trusting in its UNESCO World Heritage status, we chose Carcassonne for exploration. While fortified cities around the world are plentiful, it's rare to find one nestled entirely within a fortress like Carcassonne. Perhaps that's why this city attracts up to three million visitors annually. Located approximately 90km from Toulouse, Carcassonne historically sat at a major crossroads between ancient French and Spanish territories. Enduring numerous wars during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, the city became a strategic vulnerability along vital trade routes.

Carcassonne's construction dates back to the 13th century. It's a fortress perched atop a hill, stretching over 2.6km. Both layers of its walls are built of gray stone, towering and imposing. The upper wall of the fortress is crenellated, forming squares convenient for archers' defense. Beyond its fortifications, Carcassonne boasts exemplary Gothic architecture. Alongside the fortifications are 53 watchtowers, tall pointed columns, etched against the sky like colossal pencils. Each watchtower once housed vast food stores, capable of holding up to 1,000 salted pigs or feeding 100 cows. With such a fortress, breaching it with swords, arrows, or cavalry wasn't an easy feat. Hence, Carcassonne was once dubbed impregnable. Beyond its defensive nature, Carcassonne also hosts a small inner city with narrow cobblestone streets, towering stone wells, squares, and tiled-roof houses.

Though breaching the two layers of walls was already a feat, gaining access to the palace required crossing a stone bridge (formerly a moat). The Vieux Pont stone bridge, leading to the main gate of the fortress, now guides tourists to Rue Trivalle, a narrow street lined with ancient houses. Once inside the inner fortress, visitors get lost in a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets, immersing themselves in history. Every house, wall, each window, and every cobblestoned street remains as they were in the Middle Ages, as if yesterday. From this enclosed fortress city, crossing the Marengo stone bridge over the Aude River leads to the red-tiled city of Basse on the opposite bank. It's an economic hub renowned for its textile technology, shoe production, and wine. Here, numerous churches dating back to the 13th century stand in venerable splendor.

Near day's end, we entered a tavern—a wooden, old-style wine bar, where weary soldiers would often rest and revel after battles. The tavern, though somewhat dim and rustic, served delicious Carcassonne specialties. As the evening chilled, sitting by the hearth, devouring duck confit with lavender sauce, sipping wine, all the vigor expended during hours of cycling quickly returned.

By Minh Huong/Businessman Saigon

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Reference: Travel Guide Mytour