region was caught up in the turmoil of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, which began in 1337. It suffered famines in 1332 and 1374 and a plague in 1348, when a third of the region’s population died. English armies and mercenaries pillaged the area during a period of general lawlessness. The Hundred Years’ War ended in 1453.
The War of Religion between Protestant and Roman Catholics had a major impact during the 16th century, and many of the towns and villages along what was to become the route of the Canal du Midi changed hands. The 17th century saw the French establishing greater regional control and the country emerging as a major power. However, France lost many of her colonies to England in the late 18th century, and relations between the people and the aristocracy became increasingly bitter. The French Revolution in 1789 brought about the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic in 1793.
Despite wars, including the Napoleonic Wars, the south of France continued to develop and prosper in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Canal du Midi, which had been inaugurated in 1681, contributed greatly to this improvement. Wine production became a major source of wealth – the lifeblood of the region.
The region played an important role in the two world wars in the 20th century; a disproportionately large number of its men were lost in the trench wars in World War I, and in World War II the Pyrenees became a stronghold for the French Resistance.
The construction of the canal
Roman and French rulers long dreamed of linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, but it was the ingenuity and dogged persistence of one man, Pierre Paul Riquet, that made it a reality.
Monument commemorating Pierre Paul Riquet (Excursion 1)
There was a strong commercial reason for linking the two seas: the route around the coast of Spain was 3000km long, and the journey was perilous. Pirates preyed on cargo ships and winter storms destroyed them. Road transport was also difficult, and carts couldn’t carry large volumes of goods. On top of these difficulties, the authorities wanted a secure transport system that was within their control.
Pierre Paul Riquet was born in Béziers on 29 June in either 1608 or 1609. His father was a businessman and lawyer. Riquet became a tax collector and was responsible for raising taxes to provision the king’s army in the region, amassing enormous personal wealth in the process.
While travelling the countryside on business, Riquet pondered on how to connect the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The core problem was finding a reliable water supply to replenish any canal. In company with Pierre Campmas, Riquet evaluated possible water supplies in the Montagne Noire and worked out how a canal could be supplied. The king, Louis XIV, granted him permission to start work on the Canal du Midi in 1666.
Riquet, who was neither an engineer nor an architect, oversaw the works for the next 14 years. The canal was a major innovation and included significant innovations in its construction. For example, the dam on the lake in St-Ferréol was the first of its type in Europe.
Riquet employed 12,000 men and women to dig the canal and put the 63 locks into place; they built bridges, aqueducts and lock-keepers’ houses. They hacked out and blasted the tunnel at Malpas and created the ports in towns and villages along the way. The renowned French military engineer Marshal Sabastien le Prestre de Vauban oversaw some of the major works, such as the aqueduct over the Cesse river.
Cesse aqueduct (Stage 4)
Riquet did not live to see the Canal du Midi in operation; he died in Toulouse in 1680, just seven months before it was opened. He had gambled his family’s fortune funding the construction, but his sons recouped this when the canal began generating revenue.
Wildlife
The canal habitat provides a home to a rich wildlife. Wild flowers bloom during spring and summer; the removal of the plane trees in places has encouraged their growth and development.
The canal is home to many slow-water fish and you’ll meet fishermen and women along its length. Fish found include: pike, perch, roach (an American import), black-bass, chub and occasionally enormous catfish. Insects abound, running from small midges to large dragonflies. There is an abundant invertebrate life along the banks too and butterflies are one of the attractive aspects of the cycle. The summer soundtrack to your cycle is provided by the ever-present cigales (cicada): easy to hear but hard to spot on the barks of trees. Insects are also the pests you most frequently encounter, whether they are biting you or buzzing around your face or food. It is also easy to observe oysters in the Bassin de Thau close to the final stage of the cycle.
The canal has a rich vertebrate life too. You’ll spot frogs, lizards and geckoes on the plants, walls and rocks you cycle past. You’ll hear the tree frogs and toads chorusing as you cycle in spring and summer evenings after rainfall. You may, if you are lucky, spot the Montpellier snake – a venomous snake specific to the region. It rarely bites humans, and even when it does it is rarely fatal.
You’ll spot lizards as you cycle the towpath
There is a wide range of bird species along the route, too. Ducks and swans are common and tame. Orioles, bee-eaters, green woodpeckers and black-tailed redstarts brighten up the towpath. Kingfishers flash along the canal’s length. Buzzards, harriers and kestrels monitor your progress from on high. Towards Sète you’ll encounter flamingos, storks, stints, ibis and the occasional pelican in marshes and mudflats.
There are also mammals along the route. Rats, mice and voles are common; rabbits are ubiquitous once you leave urban areas; you may spot hares running between rows of vines. From time to time you’ll spot fallow deer grazing – usually in the early morning or late evening. The numbers of wild boar are increasing in woodlands near the canal, which is also home to some otters. Likewise, coypu numbers are increasing and they have become quite tame, sometimes coming onto the canal bank to feed during the day.
Culture
The Languedoc has a rich culture and heritage, which can be experienced through the many festivals and celebrations that take place in the cities, towns and villages along the canal. Continuous settlement, wars and industry have moulded both people and landscape.
Toulouse, Carcassonne and other large towns host international festivals, especially in summer. Carcassonne’s festival runs for the month of July and includes concerts from international rock acts, the staging of operas and a major fireworks display on Bastille Day, 14 July. Béziers hosts a feria in mid August, which includes a bullfighting festival in its arena as well as open-air concerts and performances.
There are smaller festivals in other towns and villages throughout the summer, and a wide variety of entertainment on offer: classical, jazz, rock and blues concerts; pageants and communal lunches. Southern villages organise bull-running through their streets. Wine festivals generally take place in autumn (although wine plays a significant part in most festivals).
Sports are important too. This is the heartland of French rugby – the cycle route passes close to the oyster shell-shaped stadium in Béziers. Toulouse is a great rugby centre, and the game dominates the city during major national and club fixtures.
People play pétanque or boules, a form of bowls, all along the route. The game is played on gravel or hard surfaces, and you’ll have to cycle around games on parts
