Stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, the man-made waterways of the Canal du Midi and the Canal Latéral à la Garonne form France's longest navigable artificial waterway. Together they are called the Canal Des Deux Mers. 

Started in 1666 and built by as many as 12,000 men, crossing rivers, tunnelling through hills, it runs 235 kilometres and requires over 100 locks. It is a love-affair of man, nature, and engineering. 

The canal was created by Pierre-Paul Riquet, the salt-tax farmer for Languedoc who wanted to join the economies of the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. He sacrificed everything to make sure of its completion - even using his daughters' dowries for the cause.

Plane trees and poplars line the banks of the Canal du Midi against the hot summer sunshine. For people in search of calm and peaceful time, this is great place for a relaxing vacation. From the handsome city of Toulouse to the port of Sète, the canal cuts through Southern France. 

Villages and towns reaped profit from its golden days shown by the grand homes and châteaux that brace the waters edge. Cruise past the thriving town of Beziers famous for bullfights in the summer, on past the incredible 13th century Etang de Montady, with nearby Roman oppidum. 

Visit the wonderful covered market at Narbonne, a lively Mediterranean city playing an important role as a wine-producing centre. Tour Europe’s largest medieval fortress at Carcassonne and admire the intricate fortifications of the two castellated walls about a mile in circumference.  The views from the battlements towards the Pyrenées are stunning.