Canal du Midi

Individual journey to Toulouse until late afternoon. Because of its buildings with reddish stones the inhabitants call Toulouse „ville rose“ too, the pink town. Take a little walk to see the important sacred buildings of Toulouse. One of it is the basilica St-Sernin de Toulouse, which is one of the most beautiful Romanesque sacred buildings in South France. Life takes place in cafés and along the Garonne at the old harbour, the Toulousains meet on the Place St. George for tapas. There's plenty to see: the Basilica of St. Sernin, the Place du Capitole or the Augustin Museum. One overnight stay in Toulouse.

Castelnaudary is the largest port at the Canal du Midi, and even the largest wine freighters could turn around here. French people take long journeys to pay their culinary respects to the town of the hearty bean stew "Cassoulet".

Follow the Canal du Midi to Bram, then head towards the Pyrenees. On an old railway line converted for cyclists, the climb is moderate, you roll through railway tunnels, over viaducts and bridges to Mirepoix, an enchanting bastide from the Middle Ages.

Back through the Ariège countryside, a quiet and meditative agricultural landscape with rolling hills, to Carcassonne. There, the imposing Cité, the largest fortified city in Europe, awaits you; you are in the heart of the Cathars.

Montolieu is a wonderful city at the edge of the Montagnes Noires. There are 15 antique stores with over 200.000 books in this worth seeing city of book. The former royal textile manufacturing was declared to a National Monument in 2004. Further overnight in Carcarssonne.

Olonzac is the centre of the winegrowers in the Minervois, Homps was the shipping port. Vines everywhere, the Montagne Noire and the Corbière in sight, here you practise doing nothing on the canal. Overnight stay in Olonzac or Homps.

The destination of your journey today is Narbonne, you will change to the Canal, driving along the Canal de la Robine towards the Mediterranean Sea. Great buildings of the Middle Ages are the unfinished cathedral and the palace of the archbishops. Another highlight is the market hall "Les Halles", it was awarded as the most beautiful in France. One overnight stay in Narbonne.

You drive via Capestang to Béziers, passing the famous Canal Tunnel. Once a rich wine-growing metropolis, to which many magnificent buildings bear witness, Béziers is also the birthplace of Paul Riquet, the builder of the Canal du Midi. The archbishop's palace watches over the town, and the attraction on the canal are the
Neuf Écluses, the Nine Locks. One night in Béziers,

The further you cycle, the saltier the air becomes. The cycle path leads directly along the sea towards Sète, the largest French fishing town on the Mediterranean, also called "Little Venice of the Languedoc" because of its many canals. Here, an evening stroll can be excellently combined with a good meal; the town's origins are Italian - and so is its cuisine. One overnight stay in Sète.

The tour ends after breakfast. Individual return journey.