Читать книгу Cycling the Canal du Midi - Declan Lyons - Страница 10
ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
On 13 April 1667, Pierre Paul Riquet began work on one of the world’s best cycle tracks. It wasn’t his intention; the bicycle had yet to be invented. He set out to construct a canal – the Canal du Midi – but the 240km towpath along its bank is now a cyclist’s dream.
Parts of the route are on tarmacadam
The canal’s towpath, linking Toulouse in the Haute Garonne with Sète on the Mediterranean coast, is an excellent, rewarding cycle. It passes through some of France’s most beautiful and historic countryside: rolling plains enlivened with sunflowers, dark mountain ranges, oak forests, tinder-dry garigue, Camargue-like marshland and sandy coastlines. The towns and villages punctuating its route are steeped in history and culture. This is part of la France Profonde, where the rural life still prevails; the towns and villages feel authentic and genuine.
Although it is manmade, the canal seems natural – fitting perfectly into its surroundings. It’s a thriving refuge and green corridor for a wide range of animals and plants.
Riquet built the canal to enable goods to pass from Bordeaux, on the Atlantic, to the Mediterranean ports without having to circumnavigate the Iberian Peninsula. This saved time and secured supplies in uncertain, turbulent times. Trade brought wealth, as evidenced by the elegant buildings in older districts of the canal’s towns. Tourist boats, walkers and cyclists have replaced the working barges, and the canal is a focal point for sporting and leisure activities.
The canal villages and towns predate its construction. Ancient Greeks founded Agde and the Romans developed Narbonne. Toulouse, the ‘Rose City’ has been one of France’s most beautiful and important cities for over a thousand years, while Carcassonne’s Cité is a restored 12th-century Cathar stronghold.
The arrival of railways in the late 19th century and the later construction of truck-carrying motorways undermined the economics of moving goods by barge. The Canal du Midi went into commercial decline, and the last commercial barges travelled it in 1970.
Villesèque lock (Stage 2)
UNESCO declared the Canal du Midi a World Heritage Site in 1996, recognising its unique engineering heritage and its historic importance in the development of the Languedoc area in the south of France. It rates alongside France’s great monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Papal palaces in Avignon. The Canal du Midi is a working, almost living artefact. As you cycle its banks you can feel, touch and taste the history and culture of the area it enriches.
This book gives information on cycling the Canal du Midi from one end to the other. It is ideal for those who want to spend a holiday canal cycling, and will also be of interest to those living or holidaying in the region who are looking for a few days of good cycling.
Those boating down the canal will also find this guide useful; most of the boat-hire companies offer bicycles for hire. Cycling presents boat users with the opportunity to explore the countryside that they pass through, and bikes give easy access to towns and villages at a short distance from the canal.
Regions of the canal
The Canal du Midi is part of a waterway linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Together the River Garonne and the Canal Lateral link the Canal du Midi to the Atlantic in the west. It joins the Mediterranean at Sète. A spur of the Canal du Midi – the Canals de Jonction and de la Robine – connects it to Port la Nouvelle on the Mediterranean coast.
The path was originally a towpath
The canal flows through Occitanie (Occitan) – a region created by the merging of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions. France (excluding overseas territories) is further sub-divided into 96 administrative departments which are usually – although not always – named after the main river flowing through them, with each department assigned a number in alphabetical order; the Canal du Midi passes through the Haute-Garonne (31), the Aude (11) and Hérault (34), named after the rivers Garonne (haute referring to upper), the Aude and the Hérault.
This guide uses the more general term of Languedoc to describe the region through which the canal flows.
History
Early people
The countryside around the canal is rich in history and has been inhabited and farmed since prehistory. Excavations in Valros, about 20km north of the canal at Vias, revealed Neolithic burial pits, skeletons and artefacts dating from approximately 5000BC.
Seafaring cultures had easy access to the Languedoc across the Mediterranean Sea. Agde was originally an ancient Greet city; its ready supply of volcanic rock and rich volcanic soil for agriculture made it an attractive base for trade in the seventh century BC. Archaeological remains from that period can be seen in Agde’s museum.
Evidence of the indigenous Ibero-Languedoc people can also be found close to the canal. The Oppidum d’Enserune is near Colombiers, about 2km from the tunnel at Malpas; this rocky hill was occupied from 550BC in the Iron Age to the first century AD.
Celts and Romans
The Celtic Volcae-Tectosages people spread throughout the southwest of France in the final three centuries BC, and ruled from Toulouse to Béziers. The Volcae struck a treaty with the Romans at the end of the second century BC when the latter established the province of Gallia Transalpina. The Volcae broke the treaty and captured the Roman garrison in Toulouse. The Romans retaliated, and subsequently the lands became part of their Gallic province.
Remains of the Roman Temple of Venus (Excursion 5)
The Romans established themselves quickly, leaving their mark across the entire region. The wine trade, for example, flourished, and wine and other produce were exported to Italy. This trade presumably funded the extensive building and expansion of towns and cities.
The Roman infrastructure is still in evidence today. The Via Domitia (Domitian’s road) links Rome with the Iberian Peninsula. Part of it is visible in Narbonne and a stretch can be walked at Pinet, a village 8km north of Marseillan at the Mediterranean end of the canal. Roman bridges and aqueducts can be found throughout the region.
The Roman Empire’s decline had major ramifications for southwest France. In AD418 the Roman Emperor Honorius gave the Visigoths control of Gallia Aquitania in return for their help in regaining control of the Iberian Peninsula.
Section of the Via Domitia in Narbonne (Excursion 4)
Visigoths and Saracens
The Visigoths lost control of much of their Gaulish kingdom to the Franks following the battle of Vouille near Poitiers in AD507. Little remains of the Visigoth kingdom with the exception of a few buckles, belts and bronzes, but the Visigoths live on in place names such as the Alaric Mountain (south of the canal at Puicheric), named after their King Alaric.
The Languedoc was sandwiched between warring nations during the following centuries. The Saracens, or Moors, moved north in the eighth century and took Narbonne in AD720. In the following year a Frankish army defeated the Saracens in the Battle of Toulouse. They encircled the defeated troops and killed them – one of the worst military episodes in Muslim history.
Defeats at the hands of the Frankish leader, Charles Martel (or Charles the Hammer), and King Pippin the Younger ended the Moors’ permanent presence north of the Pyrenees in the Languedoc. The Moorish armies did cross the mountains in following centuries, and in AD920 reached the gates of Toulouse, but failed to establish a permanent presence.
Troubadours
The resulting mix of religions, races and people may have contributed to the development of a more liberal and tolerant society in southwest France. At the beginning of the second millennium the region developed its own distinct code of nobility, and the troubadours’ poetry from the 11th century exemplifies the sophisticated artistic culture thriving there.
The troubadours composed songs and poetry in Occitan (the regional language) on the theme of courtly love. Their work was highly stylised and dealt with heroic feats, war, natural beauty, philosophy, honour, and love – passionate, unrequited and illicit.
This flourishing angered the Roman Catholic Church. The verses often praised much that the Church opposed – especially physical love, adultery and romance. Satirical poems and songs about the Church and the clergy did little to assuage the former’s anger. It is not surprising that the troubadours were seen as subversive when the Church began persecuting the Cathar faith.
The Cathars and the Crusade
When driving towards southern France, motorway signs announce that you are entering the Cathar country.
Catharism was a 10th-century dualist religion with its roots in Christianity. Cathars could not reconcile the world’s evil with a just and good God; they believed that evil must come from an evil God who controlled the material world, while the good God was responsible for the spiritual one. These beliefs were similar in part to those of the earlier Gnostics.
The Cathars prayed and fasted regularly. They shunned meat, eggs and dairy foods; they ate fish, oil, vegetables and fruit. On fast days they took bread and water. The local population in southwest France admired the Cathars’ piety and contrasted it with the indulgent lifestyle of the Roman Catholic clerics.
The Church became increasingly concerned about the growth in adherents of counter-religions, who were branded as heretics. In 1056 Pope Victor II excommunicated (expelled from the Church) heretics and their accomplices, and the Church ordered the burning of heretics throughout the 12th century across Europe.
The crusade was a cruel and vindictive campaign
Lotario Conti, a student of theology and canon law, was elected pope in AD1198. The 38-year-old chose the name Innocent III. He was greatly concerned about the spread of heresy – particularly in the Languedoc – and issued a decree legalising the seizure of heretics and property belonging to their supporters. He then put pressure on Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, to act against the Cathars.
In January 1208 Raymond VI met the pope’s legate, Pierre of Castelnau, to persuade the latter to revoke an excommunication pronounced against him (Raymond VI had refused to support Pierre’s campaign against the Cathars). The meeting between the two men was acrimonious. The following day some of Raymond’s men attacked Pierre of Castelnau’s party as they prepared to cross the Rhone, and killed the legate. Pope Innocent III used the murder as a pretext for declaring a crusade against Raymond and offered his lands as booty. The pope put his legate, Arnaud-Armaury, a former abbot, in charge.
A crusader army of 50,000 men reached the region in June 1209. They headed west from Valence (sparing Montpellier as a Roman Catholic city) and set up camp in the abandoned town of Servian, near Béziers. Béziers refused to give up 210 named Cathars, and so the crusaders breached the defences and began sacking the town. The townspeople crowded into churches and the crusaders, acting on Arnaud-Armaury’s dictate to ‘kill them all, God will know his own’, slaughtered every man, woman and child; it is estimated that they butchered up to 20,000 people.
Béziers (Stage 4)
The crusaders moved swiftly from Béziers and took Carcassonne. Simon de Montfort (who was grandfather of the Simon de Montfort who called the first English parliament) was appointed crusade leader and he picked off the towns in the surrounding countryside. His campaign was cruel and vindictive. The crusaders’ major victory came at Muret in September 1213 on the banks of the River Garonne. Poor generalship and the death of King Pedro II of Aragon, intervening on behalf of Raymond (who was his son-in-law and vassal) gave Simon de Montfort the day.
The campaign continued as the forces of the crusades tightened their hold on the lands in the south. The pope appointed the Dominican order as inquisitors to root out the remaining heretics. The Cathars fled to isolated mountain forts – these falling one by one over the following century – until the last known Cathar was burnt at the stake in 1321.
War and turmoil
Monument to Sauvian’s fallen in two world wars (Excursion 6)
The 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 of the towpath. Special floodlit boulodromes or bowls parks in some towns and villages facilitate evening competitions.
You’ll see people playing boules as you cycle
One of the more unusual sports encountered on the canal is water jousting or joutes nautiques, where two teams in heavy rowing boats equipped with an elevated platform at the stern row towards each other. A jouster carrying a wooden lance and a shield stands on each platform; each uses his lance to try and push his opponent off his platform and into the canal. Sète is the major centre for joutes, but it is popular all along the canal.
Cycling the Canal du Midi
France is one of the most cycling-friendly countries in the world. Up to 20 million French people cycle annually and much of the country is geared towards the activity. Occitanie is working hard to establish itself as the cycling holiday centre of France, and the local authorities are expanding an already extensive network of cycle tracks. Some of these incorporate parts of the towpath and offer the cyclist an opportunity to explore surrounding countryside safely and easily.
Food, fresh water and accommodation are readily available close to the canal, and towns and villages along the route make cyclists very welcome. Towns provide safe parking and hotels usually have secure areas for bikes. Café owners won’t mind if you arrive smeared in mud, grease or oil.
Cars are excluded from most of the towpath; roads are rural and relatively free of traffic. Plane trees shade most of the canal’s length, although these are dying away as a result of the canker stain spreading rapidly through the trees (see ‘Shade and the plane trees’, below). These trees give some shelter from sun or rain.
Food, fresh water and accommodation are readily available close to the canal
It is easy to divide the cycle into manageable stages. There are plenty of stopping points, allowing you to pace yourself. Those looking for a greater challenge can make excursions into nearby mountains or explore forest and marsh tracks.
This guide divides the canal into five stages:
Toulouse to Port Lauragais
Port Lauragais to Carcassonne
Carcassonne to Homps
Homps to Béziers
Béziers to Sète.
Information is also given on short detours to sights close to the canal and longer excursions into the surrounding countryside. The excursions are to:
St-Ferréol, the reservoir that feeds the canal
Lastours, a former Cathar stronghold
Minerve, a Cathar town set above the Cesse gorges
Narbonne and Port la Nouvelle
Vendres lagoon and the Aude river
the Portiragnes marshes, home to flamingos and other wildlife.
Places meriting a short detour are also listed (although detour lengths are not included).
Fit cyclists could complete the main canal in two days – possibly even one – although they might put themselves and others at risk in attempting to do so, and little of the canal would be seen and enjoyed. This guide is written for those who want to explore the canal and visit the main attractions along the way. For example, Carcassonne Cité, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, merits at least a half-day visit.
Those planning a week-long holiday should concentrate on the main canal and some short detours. Fitter cyclists may wish to include one of the excursions. Reasonably fit cyclists should be able to complete the canal and excursions in two weeks. Those traveling the canal by boat, or living or holidaying in the region, will be able to use the guide to plan day or overnight trips. The stage planning tables in Appendix A will help you to plan days of the right length for you.
Those looking for short cycles can make return trips along the canal. The best stretches for those without much cycling experience are between Toulouse to Port Lauragais; Carcassonne to Trèbes; Béziers to Portiragnes Plages; and Marseillan to Sète. These sections are tarmacadamed with the exception of the Carcassonne to Trèbes path. In addition it is possible to use the train and cycle, especially in the Toulouse area – cycling along the canal and getting a train for the return journey.
The canal is easy to access, with airports, train stations and motorways nearby. By air it takes a few hours to reach it from most of Europe’s airports. It is under seven hours’ drive from Paris and 11 hours from Calais. There are train stations along its length, and the French train network is generally bike-friendly.
When to go
One of the great attractions of the Canal du Midi is that it can be cycled throughout the year. There are times when the weather is more reliable and the experience is more pleasant, but I’ve cycled the route in all seasons and each has its own special appeal.
Summer
The canal is vibrant in summer. Cicada whirr constantly along its banks; sunflowers bloom along the higher reaches while grapes swell on the vines. The regions are alive with festivals and ferias, and the canal is busier: there are more barges, queueing at locks and filling its harbours. There are more cyclists on the towpath but it is never crowded or unpleasant, and it only takes a few minutes’ pedalling to reach a quiet stretch.
Sunflowers growing beside the towpath
On the downside, summer temperatures can soar to 40˚C and it can be difficult cycling in intense midday heat. Nights remain hot and June and July bring out mosquitoes and midges, which can be an irritation both during the day and more so after dusk.
Plan overnight stops carefully in July and August. Campsites are in heavy demand and so advance booking is advised. Hotels in towns holding festivals fill up quickly and almost every bed is taken at weekends and bank holidays.
Spring/autumn
These are pleasant seasons for cycling the canal. Spring comes early in the Mediterranean area; from mid-February to June the days lengthen and warm, flowers bloom, butterflies emerge, swallows and martins return.
The area retains its warmth into late October. The shortening days are warm enough for shorts and T-shirts; the sea is still warm enough for swimming. It is an ideal time for cycling with daytime temperatures reaching 20° or more. Note, however, that nights are cooler, and the average rainfall is higher in May and June in the Toulouse to Carcassonne region than in earlier or later months.
Tourist numbers increase and decrease in spring and autumn respectively, and most tourist attractions are open. It is easy to find hotel rooms and seats in restaurants. The festival season begins in late spring and tails off in autumn.
The start of the Canal de Jonction (Excursion 4)
Winter
Far fewer tourists cycle the track in winter, although the leafless trees and bushes mean that visibility is improved. Sunny days are less frequent; there will be very few biting insects and none of the extreme heat you are likely to encounter in summer.
The difficulty with cycling in winter is that the days are shorter, colder and wetter. The canal can freeze during cold nights and there is always a danger of prolonged rain and sometimes even snow. Storms and flash floods are more likely and winter storms may be violent.
Small hotels and chambres d’hôtes (bed and breakfasts) often close for winter, as do campsites. This may restrict your choice of accommodation, but you should always be able to find something – with the exception of the days around Christmas.
Getting there and getting around
By air
There are four commercial airports close to the canal: Blagnac (Toulouse), Salvaza (Carcassonne) and Béziers-Cap d’Agde are less than 10km away, and Montpellier’s airport is approximately 40km from Sète.
Toulouse has flights to and from major European cities; Carcassonne is a base for low-cost airlines, as is Béziers-Cap d’Agde. Both have flights from various locations in Ireland, Great Britain and continental Europe. Montpellier has flights from Great Britain and continental Europe.
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) is the main airline serving southwest France from Ireland and the UK. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) also fly to the southwest from airports in Ireland and the UK. There are a few year-round routes while most are in the summer only.
Advise your airline if you plan to bring a bike when you book your flight. You’ll be required to turn the pedals inwards or take them off entirely, and turn the handlebars sideways. You must then pack the bike into a hard or soft holder, deflating the tyres to avoid their bursting under decompression. Some airlines charge for carrying bicycles and these fees can be steep – up to €50 each way. There may also be additional booking and drop-off charges depending on the airline.
Make sure that you book your flight well in advance. Airlines limit the number of bikes on each flight – some as few as six per plane.
By car
The Canal du Midi is easily reached by road. You can drive to the south of France from most parts of Western Europe; the French motorway network will deliver you to the canal in 12 hours from most of its borders. Motorways are generally tolled and these can be expensive. You can plan your route using websites such as www.mappy.fr and calculate your toll charges.
Autoroute 61 (A61) runs close to the canal between Toulouse and Narbonne; the A9 is close between Narbonne and Sète. The A75 from the north ends close to the canal near Béziers. British car ferries sail to a range of French ports including Dieppe, Calais, Boulogne, Le Harve, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff.
There are long-stay carparks in towns and cities and at railway stations where you can leave your car while cycling the canal. Hotels and guesthouses may also allow you to use their parking facilities while you cycle for a day. There is often space to park close to the canal where roads cross it, or where it passes through smaller villages.
By train
There are train stations at intervals along the length of the Canal du Midi in Toulouse, Castelnaudary, Bram, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Port la Nouvelle, Béziers, Vias, Agde, Marseillan Plage and Sète. There are stations near the canal between Toulouse and Castelnaudary at Labège (Innopole and Village), Baziège, Villenouvelle, Villefranche-de-Lauragais and Avgnonet-Lauragais, which are very useful for those wanting relatively short cycles. High-speed trains – TGVs – link France’s and Europe’s main cities. These serve Toulouse, Carcassonne, Béziers, Narbonne, Agde and Sète. The Eurostar connects with the French high-speed service and runs services from three international stations: St Pancras in central London; Ebbsfleet, just off the M25 (Junction 2); and Ashford in Kent. The Eurostar Lyon–South of France route serves Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.
Some French trains have designated storage for bikes
The French railway company, Société Nationale Chemin de fer Francais (SNCF), allows bikes on its trains. Timetables can be checked on its website www.voyages-sncf.com.
Bicycles must be prepared for carriage on the Eurostar services and certain TGV and French intercity trains. The bikes must fit into a cover measuring 190 x 90cm. Eurostar allows partially dismantled bikes on the train as carry-on luggage but the handlebars, saddle and wheels must be removed. Alternatively, it may be placed in a baggage compartment free of charge.
Eurostar offers a registered baggage service on certain trains but only from London. They guarantee that the bike will be available for collection within 24 hours of registration, and advise on how to send a bike ahead so that it’s there on your arrival. First Luggage offers a baggage collection and delivery service for Eurostar passengers. You should check Eurostar’s website (www.eurostar.com) if you plan to travel with them. Within France, SNCF offers a similar door-to-door service (home or train station) and you’ll find further details at www.sncf.com/en/services/luggage.
Some TGVs and intercity trains have special compartments for bikes, meaning they don’t need to be dismantled. You should reserve this when booking your ticket. Local trains (TER) and some Corail allow you to put your bike in the baggage compartment or hang it by its wheel from a special hook in a designated carriage on board. Remove anything that might fall off when you have to hang up your bike.
The SNCF website and timetables use a bicycle symbol to indicate trains that allow bikes on board. There is a restriction on the number of bikes allowed on any train. Find out more on their website: www.voyages-sncf.com.
There may be charges for bringing your bike on a train and these vary depending upon the service you’re using.
View of Cap d’Agde from Mont St-Loup (Stage 5)
Passports and travel requirements
Travellers from the UK and Ireland must have a valid passport or passport card to travel in France. Ensure that your passport remains in date for the length of your stay. France accepts identity cards from citizens of the EU issuing these. As the UK and Ireland do not operate all of the Schengen agreement (which allows free travel without border controls between participating countries) a residency or visa for another EU country does not give you an automatic right to enter France. The French embassy website (UK), www.ambafrance-uk.org, gives information on visa requirements.
Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US citizens don’t need a visa for a stay of less than 90 days, but require a full passport. Non-EU visitors to France must have, ready for presentation at the border, documentary evidence of the reason for their visit, means of support for the duration and their accommodation arrangements.
Towpath permits
The Voies Navigables de France (VNF) manages the Canal du Midi and controls the use of the towpath. It works with local authorities and where it is appropriate makes the path available to the public.
There are stretches of the towpath that are not open to the public and a permit is needed to cycle these stretches. The section from Port Lauragais to Vias requires a permit even though stretches of this are advertised as cycle paths. You also need a permit for the section from Sallèles-d’Aude to Narbonne. Cycling on the towpath from Agde to Marseillan is forbidden.
You may apply for a permit by emailing US.ADVE.DT-Sud-Ouest@vnf.fr, giving the dates that you intend to travel, the number of people cycling and your intended route.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of accommodation available along the canal, ranging from expensive hotels to very basic campsites. Your options include hotels, hostels, chambres d’hôtes (bed and breakfasts), gîtes (holiday homes for rent), camping and chalets in campsites.
Hotels vary from anonymous chains to small family-owned premises. The chain hotels, in major towns or close to the motorway, are relatively cheap and offer clean but basic rooms. You pay extra for breakfast and any other service. Chain hotels such as B&B and Ibis are situated close to the canal in Toulouse. The rooms are usually en suite but some are room only.
Chambre d’hôte in Port Lauragais
The quality of smaller French hotels varies widely and you should check out rooms before you accept them. Cheaper hotels may have very limited facilities, and not all rooms are the same. You may find that the bathroom and toilet are shared by everyone on a corridor. Most rooms have a wash handbasin, while it is possible that you may be offered a room with a shower but without a toilet.
Five-star hotels will charge in excess of €150 a room; chains charge between €35 and €90; smaller hotels may charge less than €60 a room. There is usually a supplement for an additional person.
Chambres d’hôtes are the French equivalent of British bed and breakfasts. Like small French hotels, they vary in price and quality. Usually, the quality is good and some are excellent. Check the rooms in advance. Most chambres d’hôtes offer evening meals and these are usually communal. The standard of catering is generally very good and most use local produce. Charges vary greatly, with some charging over €100 for a night but most charging between €40 and €90 for bed and breakfast, with evening meals costing an extra €15 to €20. Supplements for a second person apply.
Some hotels and chambres d’hôtes offer a special deal for dinner, bed and breakfast known as soirée étape, which is often excellent value.
Gîtes are self-catering and may be a holiday home, wood chalet or an apartment. They are usually booked in advance and for at least a week. On occasions you may be able to hire one for an overnight or a few nights’ stay. You generally have to provide your own towels and sheets although some owners will provide these for cyclists. Gîtes are usually well equipped, and you are expected to clean and tidy fully before you leave.
Camping is a great option and there are campsites close to all the routes described in this guide. The sites vary from very basic – usually municipal – to five-star with swimming pools, restaurants, discothèques and tennis courts. Larger campsites may be noisy during the high season, and most are closed between October and April. Pitches for tents cost between €12 and €30 a night. Some campsites rent chalets or caravans by the night if they are available; these are normally rented by the week from Saturday to Saturday. There are extra charges for more people, dogs, electricity supply and vehicles.
Note that all prices increase during the high season and accommodation becomes more difficult to find. Hotels are open year-round in Toulouse, Villefranche de Lauragais, Castelnaudary, Bram, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Capestang, Béziers, Vias, Agde and Sète.
See Appendix B for a list of accommodation providers on or near the route.
Food and drink
The Canal du Midi passes through land that produces an abundance of fresh food and wine. France is renowned for its cuisine and it finds its best expression in the Languedoc; restaurants and shops promote fresh local produce in season.
You’ll find fresh produce in the countryside beside the canal
Farmers often sell their produce directly; you can buy fruit and vegetables for a very reasonable price. Asparagus comes into season in April, quickly followed by berries such as strawberries and raspberries. Vegetables also come into season early and you can buy new potatoes, courgettes, carrots and aubergines throughout the summer. Fresh, tasty tomatoes are available directly from producers along the route.
Figs are abundant in June and September, and can often be picked from trees growing close to the canal; melons grow in fields near the towpath. Autumn fruits such as grapes, apples and pears also grow close by, while almonds are grown in many places.
The Mediterranean Sea is a great source of fish and seafood and Thau oysters can be bought from outlets in the villages close to the sea. There are fishmongers in the small towns and villages along the route too.
Meat is an important part of French diet, and there are butchers’ shops in all towns and many larger villages. Horsemeat is still eaten in France and you may see signs for viande cheval or chevaline.
The presence of the canal boosted the wine trade in the 19th century. The trade continues, although it is declining in the face of competition from cheaper foreign wines and over-production in the EU. Local wines are excellent and can be bought directly from vineyards passed en route. It would be impossible to list all of the wine-producing regions close to the canal but they include les Corbières, Minerve, Thau, Pinet, La Clape, Fitou and St Chinian. Popular varieties of grape are (reds) Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon; (whites) Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, Clairette, Viognier and Muscat. Sweet Muscat is a popular fortified dessert wine.
Restaurants and cafés
There are relatively cheap restaurants and cafés along the canal; those catering for tourists are only open from after Easter to October. There is a wide range of eating opportunities, from pizza outlets to traditional places with starched white tablecloths and formally dressed waiters.
Set meals are the cheapest option in most restaurants and lunches are usually the best value. A set lunch can cost as little as €11 per head and will include a starter, main course and sometimes dessert. Occasionally, a quarter-litre of house wine is included.
Meat and fish dishes are the main specialities. From Toulouse to Castelnaudary restaurants serve cassoulet, which includes pork, local sausages, haricot beans and garlic. La teille Sètoise is an octopus, onion and tomato filling seasoned with herbs and topped with pastry – a recipe that was brought to Sète by Italian fishermen in the late 19th century. Ratatouille is popular in the south of France and is best served at room temperature in summer.
Seafood is plentiful along the coast
Vegetarians are rarely able to benefit from set meals as the main course is usually fish or meat. French restaurants may attempt to serve vegetarians fish or chicken dishes, and some stuffed vegetables may contain meat. You will find a wide range of salads, including warm goat’s cheese salad, as alternatives. There are a few restaurants along the canal that specialise in tarts and quiches and there is usually at least one vegetarian option. One of the best is at Castanet lock.
Restaurant closing times are strictly observed. You will find it hard to get lunch after 2.30pm and last orders for dinner aren’t usually accepted after 9.30pm.
Shops and markets
Shopping for food along the canal is a delight, in hypermarkets, supermarkets, small local stores, specialist shops, or from travelling vans and local producers. In addition there are markets, at least weekly, in most towns and large villages.
The boulangerie and patisserie form the cornerstones of village life, and villagers buy their bread and croissants fresh daily. Baguettes are excellent for picnics but will only stay fresh for a few hours.
Smaller shops open early in the morning at 7.30am and close between 12.30 and 4pm in the afternoon. They close in the evening around 6.30 or 7pm. Some may open on Sunday morning.
French markets are a blaze of colour and scents, with stallholders selling everything from fruit and vegetables to clothes and hardware. The markets normally start at 8am and finish at 12pm. There are some evening and night markets in summer, often as part of festivals. Markets are usually held in the main square or along the main street. Larger towns such as Béziers and Narbonne also have covered permanent enclosed food markets open in the morning only.
See Appendix C for detailed information about market days in the towns along the route.
There are markets in most towns and villages
Your bike
Bicycle bridge beside the road to Lastours (Excursion 2)
Buying or renting a bike
Bringing a bike on a plane can be difficult and expensive. It’s possible to buy second-hand bikes relatively cheaply in the major towns along the Canal du Midi. Obviously, choice will depend on availability; bikes may be in shorter supply in high season, pushing up the price and reducing choice.
Bikes are good value in France and you may decide to buy a new one there. Major stores such as Decathlon (www.decathlon.fr) and Intersport (www.intersport.fr) in or on the outskirts of the major cities and towns specialise in sports equipment. (Note that even the large outlets may not have your size or the model you want on the day that you visit.) You’ll find Decathlon and/or Intersport stores in Toulouse, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Béziers and Agde. In addition there are bike shops along the route and these will carry a good range of models. Large supermarkets also stock bikes in summer.
You can hire bikes (location velo) in most centres along the canal. These vary from professional outfits to small operations with a limited supply. Boat hire companies usually offer bikes for hire to those renting boats from them. You should hire your bike from shops or agents who have their own mechanics and workshops, as otherwise hired bikes deteriorate during the season. Hiring a bike is a good option if you’re only planning to cycle for a day or two; however, the cost of bike hire has increased in recent years and it may be cheaper to buy a second-hand bike than hire one for a prolonged period.
Note: having hired or bought a bike, check which brake lever operates which brakes before you start to cycle!
There are specialist companies who offer holiday services, from simple bike hire through to a complete service including accommodation and baggage transport. They cater for individuals and groups. Companies such as Relax Rentals offer bikes, trailers and other cycling gear for rent. They also organise holidays, including the arrangement of accommodation and baggage transfer (www.relaxbiketours.com). Large UK tour companies offer this service through partners along the canal, but you can contact the local companies directly if you want a more tailored response.
Choosing the right type of bike
You can match parts of the routes in this guide to any type of bike. I’ve used most sorts on the towpath. The tarmac stretches from Toulouse to Port Lauragais and Béziers to Portiragnes are suitable for a racer or thin-wheeled training bike, which may also be used on the road excursions to St Ferréol and Minerve.
However, the bulk of the towpath is clay and bumpy; it can be cycled on a touring bike but an all-terrain bike (ATB) or hybrid is better. I prefer a bike with front suspension to absorb the constant bumps that might otherwise cause repetitive stress injury. A reasonable spread of gears is required if you make the excursions into the mountains. Good brakes are essential. Broader tyres (38mm upwards) are better for dealing with the rougher stretches. The path can become very muddy in wet weather and the heavy clay will collect on tyres with deep threads. Mud can clog brakes or immobilise wheels.
Consider using a bike with quick-release wheels, or fitting these if you’re bringing a bike that hasn’t got them already. Assume that you will suffer at least one puncture on the route. Quick-release wheels make it a lot easier to swap a tube or fix a puncture.
A comfortable saddle is essential: gel-filled saddles or gel-filled covers will absorb the harder knocks, and a suspension saddle serves the same purpose.
Fit a water bottle holder to your bike frame. These are easy to attach and most bikes have nuts for attaching them. Ensure that your bottle fits snugly into the holder.
Panniers, tool bag and handlebar bag are all useful
You’ll need a rear carrier if you use panniers. This should be strong enough to take the weight of your bags and a tent if you plan to camp. Most carriers support a maximum load of 20kg.
Fix front and back reflectors on your bike. Reflectors on your spokes are worth fitting too as roads are crossed regularly along the canal. Wear a high-visibility jacket in low light. Bring front and rear lights; it’s best to have detachable ones to avoid theft. However, the lights will be insufficient for cycling on the unlit stretches of the canal.
Looking after your bike
Get your bike serviced before you leave. A basic repair kit is essential and should include:
puncture repair kit
spanners and Allen keys to fit all nuts and bolts
pump (mini foot pump preferably)
spoke tightener
screwdriver matching the screws on your bike
two replacement tubes
replacement tyre
replacement spokes and screws.
Learn how to change a tube and tyre before you set out. Get your local bike shop to show you how to adjust your brakes and gears. Find out which nuts you need to tighten regularly; for example, you should check the nuts on your carrier daily as these can work loose and shear.
You should make sure that your tyres are fully inflated each day before starting to cycle as this helps protect against punctures.
There are bike repair shops in the main centres along the route (see Appendix C); these will repair bikes and sell the supplies that you may need.
What to take
Those preparing for a cycle tour should follow the golden rule of packing: lay out everything you want to take and leave half behind.
Obviously, the season will determine what clothes you take. Prepare for cold wet weather in winter: thermal undershirts and socks are worthwhile and cycling gloves are essential. Warm cycling jackets and long cycling trousers are also necessary, as are lightweight breathable waterproof tops and leggings.
Light, cool clothes will be required in summer, but bring compact waterproofs in case of poor weather. Expect it to be hot. Light cycling tops and shorts are essential; these should be easy to wash and dry as they’ll become very dusty quickly. Shorts should cover your thighs even on the upstroke when pedalling to avoid the risk of sunburn. Cycling shorts with a chamois leather pad are very useful; wash daily to avoid saddle sores. You should also consider bringing a tub of Sudocrem to help prevent saddle sores and treat them should you suffer from them. This is not generally available in France.
Sunglasses are useful throughout the year, but essential in summer. Buy pairs with removable lenses and replace the darkened glass with lowlight lenses in the evening as a protection against insects and dust. Bring a sunhat for those times when you’re not cycling and not wearing your helmet. You’ll need sun cream; anti-mosquito cream and lotion for treating bites; a small first aid kit with bandages, scissors, tweezers, (for thorns or splinters) and antiseptic cream; and a supply of any medication you take regularly.
What bags to use
A handlebar bag is very useful for holding valuables such as a camera, mobile phone etc. Bags with a clear plastic map holder on top are particularly handy.
Use panniers to carry your personal effects; avoid taking a heavy rucksack if you plan to cycle for several days as it can chafe your shoulders and back. Rear panniers will hold most of your possessions and are available in a range of shapes and sizes. You can buy high-quality back panniers that are waterproof and easy to secure. Saddlebag-style panniers (three bags joined together) are another alternative; one bag sits on the pannier and the other two on either side.
Make sure that the bags don’t impede your pedalling. Use panniers you can adjust to allow your feet free movement. The route is dusty, and some cyclists use plastic covers to protect their panniers.
A single-wheeled trailer
Those wanting to carry a lot of gear should consider a bike trailer. These hold more but are harder to manoeuvre. The towpath is narrow in places and a single-wheeled trailer is the best option should you choose to use one.
Some bike rental shops also hire out both panniers and trailers.
Cycling the towpath
Remember that the path you use is a towpath and was created for horses pulling barges to walk upon. Parts have been developed and are tarmacadamed; others are clay and relatively easy to cycle; some are rutted and have roots protruding; and some are narrow with just enough room to cycle.
Some stretches are hard to cycle
The following stretches of the towpath are harder to cycle:
the 6km from Port Lauragais towards Castelnaudary
from Bram to Carcassonne
from Pigasse for 3km towards Capestang
from Portiragnes Plage bridge to Vias
the section from Agde to Marseillan – and it is prohibited to cycle on this stretch.
All of these stretches, with the exception of Agde to Marseillan, may be cycled with care. I’ve cycled the entire route many times and towed a single-wheeled trailer over all of it bar the Agde stretch.
Some people who are unused to off-road cycling may find it challenging but it is perfectly doable. The 10-year-olds from the local primary school near my home cycle it every year. I’ve met many parents cycling with their children in tow in trailers and encounter cyclists aged from eight to 80.
The shift from vines to cereal crops has resulted in much larger agricultural vehicles using parts of the towpath. These can dig up the path in wet weather and leave large ruts and craters.
The good news is that the route is being developed as part of the cycle route V80, which will run from Bordeaux to Sète. This is a long-term project but there should be gradual improvement over the coming decade.
SHADE AND THE PLANE TREES
Dead plane trees
The canal is lined with plane trees, which provide welcome shade in the summer heat. Unfortunately, these trees are being attacked by an aggressive fungal pathogen, ceratocystis platani (canker stain of plane or chancre coloré) which is spreading along the canal, killing the trees as it goes. The fungus was carried to France in wood used to make munitions boxes in the US for the allied troops in Europe during WWII. It was first identified in Marseille in 1945 and appeared on the canal near Carcassonne in 2006. It has spread rapidly since. The canal company has been forced to fell more and more infected trees. Once infected, a tree dies within three to five years and then poses a safety risk. The company sees little chance of saving any of the 42,000 plane trees that shade the canal’s towpath.
The trees are felled between October and March each year. The path adjacent to the felling is closed during this period and diversions are usually signposted. Cyclists should not enter the cordoned-off areas during these works. The works bring heavy machinery onto the towpaths and these can cause further damage to the surface. Disease-resistant plane trees and other species are being planted after the diseased ones are removed, but it will take decades before they provide proper shade.
The felling is occurring along the length of the canal and it is impossible to predict which stages of the cycle will have good shade. Cyclists should assume that there will be stretches where there will be very little shade. The first edition of this guide indicated the shade level on each stage; it is not possible to do this in the current edition.
