Where to sleep along the Canal du Midi?

Are you going to stay in the south, Occitania? Discover with us where to sleep along the Canal du Midi!

Architectural masterpiece of the 17th century, the Canal du Midi is one of the jewels of the Occitania region, between Toulouse and Marseillan in the Hérault. Formerly a geostrategic – linking the Garonne to the Mediterranean allowed Louis XIV to save many costs, to trade without risking piracy and without passing through Spain – it has a well-known tourist dimension of today and offers beautiful shady walks on foot or by bike, of a length of 240 kilometers from Toulouse to the pond of Thau. Prepared by Pierre-Paul Riquet , the Canal du Midi was completed in 1681, and is one of the oldest canals in Europe still in operation.

Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Canal du Midi was competitive in the course of the Industrial Revolution (late 19th century), and was used only for tourism. Situated along the Canal du Midi, it is possible to explore the 328 art works that it contains, for example, the locks of Fonserannes, 63 locks, 126 bridges, 55 aqueducts, 7 bridges, 6 dams, 1 pinch and 1 tunnel.

Are you looking for a place to sleep along the Canal du Midi? Here is our list of cities and villages where to stay near the canal.

Toulouse

Choosing to sleep in Toulouse will make it possible to go hiking on the Canal du Midi by exploring the pink city, along a green path by sinking into a sumptuous plant scenery, and having a glimpse of the Toulouse countryside and Lauragais.

Get out of here. Jumeaux bridges , lock of the Béarnais, Minims or Matabiau station if you enjoy urban walks while being in the shade of plane trees. Go to Castanet-Tolosan, Labège, Montgiscard lock, Aiguevives lock, visit Villefranche-de-Lauragais , pass the famous Seuil de Naurouze, to Castelnaudary. This route takes about 3h30 by bike, through trails and trails.

Castelnaudary

There are several hotels where to stay in Castelnaudary , on the edge of the canal. Enjoy it to see the 4 locks of Saint-Roch, out of town. Enjoy a walk or drink a drink in front of the Grand Bassin on the port of 7 hectares of Castelnaudary.

The route from the Canal to Carcassonne allows to pass about 20 locks (Gay, Vivier, Guillermin, Saint-Sernin, Peyruque, Villepinte, etc.) around a resurgent nature. In the vicinity, and if you can find a vehicle and/or rent a car Discover the Cathar castles of Aude, the Black Mountain.

Carcassonne

Staying in Carcassonne can be a very good strategy to explore the Canal du Midi, either west or east, by visiting a city rich in art and history. Stop! the lock of Marseillette and watch the Fresquel Canal Bridge north of Carcassonne.

In the south, the Cité de Carcassonne is among the must-sees of a hike along the Canal du Midi. Enjoy it to visit the city the time of a City Tour with a local which will make you discover the many historical treasures of the city. The port of Trèbes – if you are by boat – allows you to get rid of it (many places). The Canal du Midi, from Carcassonne to Béziers, enters the Minervois and flows into the edges of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park. Don’t miss the lock the Aiguille in Puichéric – a double basin lock, – and the Silverdouble panker (registered to the heritage of historical monuments) and the homonymous canal bridge in La Redorte.

Homps

Why book a sleeping accommodation in Homps? We don’t even know where it is... Homps , on horseback between the Aude and the Hérault, makes it possible to make a stop between the 80 kilometers that separate Carcassonne from Béziers, along the Canal du Midi: a small village of the picturesque south near the lock of the Ognon, with some bars, restaurants and hotels where to sleep along the Canal.

A few kilometers after Homps is the hamlet of Homps Somail , which can be a charming alternative to house in this corner. During your visit to the Somail, you will surely appreciate the beautiful péniches arrested in the port.

Beziers

Béziers, second city of Hérault, would be the oldest city in France before Marseille , built by the Greeks in the 7th century before our era. The agglomeration dickroise is crossed by the Canal du Midi, and allows to pass through a must in the work of P.P. Riquet: the 9 locks of Fonseranes , a set of eight contiguous locks, an emblem of the city of Beziers.

In Béziers, watch the Pont-Vieux enjambant l’Orb and the lock of Béziers, stroll through the Parc des Poètes, then overlook the city from the point of view of the Saint-Nazaire Cathedral . In the summer enjoy a lively nightlife, an ideal place to sleep along the Canal, enjoy a little urban life in a nature stay.

Agde – Marseillan

The activities diversify as you approach the Mediterranean Sea: the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea Cap d’Agde , those of the pond of Thau between Agde and Sète, allow to swim between two hikes along the Canal du Midi.

La Pointe des Onglous is the mouth of the Canal du Midi in the pond of Thau. There are many accommodation solutions to stay in Agde and Marseillan (hotels, bungalows, campsites, accommodation in the living room).