The Canal du Midi is a French navigation canal linking Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea, created by the French "canal architect" Paul Riquet and classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site. You will start your cycling trip in the "pink city" of Toulouse, and cycle for 7 days along safe paths, through the agricultural region of Lauragais and the vineyards of Minervois, to reach the Mediteranean sea.
The ingeniously constructed winding "Canal du Midi", is your cool and shady route, leading you to Castelnaudary, where you can sample a regional Occitan specialty made from dried beans and meat: the Cassoulet. You will continue on to Europe's largest fortified medieval city: Carcassonne. Visit this architectural complex of outstanding beauty, stroll along the ramparts and visit the Château Comtal.
You then continue your trip and arrive in the charming town of Sète, where you can admire the magnificent azure sea. Enjoy a stroll along the canals and through the port of Sète. There is a lot to be enjoyed on the way along this large scale ‘water work’: antique boats, dozens of oval shaped locks of various sizes, age old villages, gastronomic surprises and beautiful towns.
More than 75% of all the stages along the canals are on well-maintained cycle paths. However, for the last few years, some of the paths in the more southern area have become degraded.