Canal du Midi – Cycling

Destination: France
Duration: 8 days

The ingenious Canal du midi which connects the Atlantic with the Mediterranean Sea dates back to the 17th century. The easy cycling along the plane tree lined canal will be enriched by our cultural visit to the mediaeval fortification of Carcassonne and small French towns along the way. Splendid prepared picnics await us daily on the riverbank.

Day 1

Bonjour la Françe!

Arrive in Toulouse and transfer to our hotel.

Day 2

To Castelnaudary, 55km cycling

Our first ride along the Canal du Midi starts off directly in Toulouse. We pass Villefranche-de-Lauragais and Avignonet-Lauragais on our way to Castelnaudary. We can enjoy an easy and beautiful ride along this feat of engineering, dating from the 17th century.

Day 3

To Carcassonne, 45km cycling

Cycling along the canal and passing some nice villages we head towards Carcassonne, one of the best preserved fortified medieval towns in Europe. The western part of the Languedoc used to be the land of the Cathars and their traces can be found in many places. Picnic stop at one of the beautiful canal locks.

Day 4

Free day in Carcassonne

Take time to explore the old city on foot or head off for some optional cycling in the local area. . The Cathar castle Chateaux de Lastour makes a nice stop before cycling back through vineyards and back-roads.

Day 5

To Homps, 42km cycling

Along the Canal du Midi and small roads passing by Trèbes and other small villages we continue to Homps. The lock Ecluse de l’Aigulle, as well as an open air sculpture museum makes a great place for our lunch picnic. At night a barbecue dinner can be arranged in the spacious garden of our hotel.

Day 6

To Narbonne, 45km cycling

Today we leave the Canal du Midi to continue on the Canal de la Robine towards Narbonne.
Here we can explore the Archbishop’s Palace, the Gothic Cathedral, and the Roman subterranean storage caves.

Day 7

Bezier, 45km cycling

We continue our tour and first cycle some back-roads in the beautiful countryside around Narbonne before rejoining the Canal du Midi again. In the afternoon we reach Bezier, another beautiful medieval town.