Canal du Midi: Carcassonne, a superb base for a cruise!
Linking Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea, the Canal du Midi is now one of the oldest canals in Europe and was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1996. After having been used for a long time in commercial traffic, until 1989 precisely, it is now used for leisure, housing and river tourism. Our team offers you cruise itineraries on this waterway. Thus, you have the choice between several departure bases, including Carcassonne. If you like old cities, with a rich heritage, where gastronomy blends wonderfully with culture, it is an excellent starting point for your stay in a barge or boat without a permit!
An impressive medieval city with a real change of scenery
When you walk through the medieval city of Carcassonne, you have the impression of travelling through time. Its 3 kilometres of fortifications and 52 towers plunge us into another era. Very well preserved, thanks in particular to the restoration work carried out by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, it plunges us into a magical atmosphere, especially as it includes several magnificent monuments and museums. These include the Château Comtal, the Saint-Nazaire basilica, the Maison de la Chevalerie and the Grand puits. Before starting your river cruise, we recommend that you spend a few hours in this fortress, walk through its maze of cobbled streets, discover its courtyards, the drawbridge of the Narbonne gate (not to mention the famous statue of Lady Carcas!) and thus, go back centuries.
Our tips on places to see and visit in this fortified city
If the medieval city is undoubtedly the tourist attraction of Carcassonne, the city has other sites worth a visit before boarding a boat or barge without a permit. Among our favourite addresses is the lower town, which you can easily reach via the Pont-Vieux. On site, the Bastide Saint-Louis, built in 1260, is characterised by the splendour of its architecture and includes magnificent private mansions and religious buildings, such as the Maison des mémoires de Joë Bousquet, the Notre-Dame de la Santé chapel, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Saint-Vincent church, the town hall, the Saint-Michel cathedral and the Chapelle des Carmes.
Also take advantage of your discovery of the city to have lunch or dinner in one of its many restaurants and enjoy local specialities such as fougasse with chips, cassoulet, dry liver and snails in the Languedoc style. This way, you will leave the place with fond memories in mind and a full stomach! Ideal conditions in short to start your river cruise on the Canal du Midi!
