Midi-Pyrénées Travel by Canals and Rivers

Midi-Pyrénées has no direct link with the Sea but a huge network of canals, mainly used for cargo transport and river boating as a leisure. Rivers are also used a lot. Canals are thus ideal to discover the regional beauties.

	Travelling to Midi-Pyrénées by Sea
Main Harbours	Midi-Pyrénées has no harbour, but an extensive network of canals (240 km), allowing to travel at a different pace: • Pierre-Paul Riquet decided in 1662 he would do a revolution in the world of cargo transport between the (atlantic) ocean and the (mediterranean) sea. • For 14 years, 12,000 workers, including women and children worked on this project, digging between Toulouse and Sète. Tunnels are dug in the mountains and all obstacles are overcome. • The Canal du Midi opened officially as the Canal Royal de Languedoc in 1681. It was also referred to as the Canal des Deux Mers.
Canals Network	The canals are used for touristic itineraries and freight transport.

Travelling to Midi-Pyrénées by Sea

Main Harbours

Midi-Pyrénées has no harbour, but an extensive network of canals (240 km), allowing to travel at a different pace:
• Pierre-Paul Riquet decided in 1662 he would do a revolution in the world of cargo transport between the (atlantic) ocean and the (mediterranean) sea.
• For 14 years, 12,000 workers, including women and children worked on this project, digging between Toulouse and Sète. Tunnels are dug in the mountains and all obstacles are overcome.
• The Canal du Midi opened officially as the Canal Royal de Languedoc in 1681. It was also referred to as the Canal des Deux Mers.

Canals Network

The canals are used for touristic itineraries and freight transport.

Return to Midi-Pyrénées Travel Page

Return to Midi-Pyrénées Home Page