H I G H L I G H T S  &   E X C U R S I O N S

 C A N A L   du   M I D I

 The main highlight on the Canal du Midi is the 17^th Century marvel of the Canal du Midi, itself! With its 328 works and 45 000 trees linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean – traversing a remote, unspoilt, countryside of the pristine Languedoc region, now world famous for its sophisticated wines - and then there are many more highlights …

CANAL du MIDI: Béziers; Narbonne; Corbières & Minervois Wines; Cathare Castles; Carcassonne.

  Being on charter means that you can tailor the excursions according to your party’s special interests. For example:

Historic Tours & Architecture
Follow the path of civilisation – the prehistoric sites and caves; the Grecco-Iberian sites such as the Oppidum of Enserune; the Galls and their Dolmens; the Roman presence in Narbonne (their first colony outside of Rome); the medieval architecture with its hill villages; bastides and magnificent abbeys such as Fontfroide and Lagrasse. The Cathare Castles, witness to religious wars and the expansion of the king of France – Carcassonne as the proudest medieval city. The wine and its domains which, from the 17^th Century, gave the Languedoc its final aspect.

Art, History and Antiques
Narbonne concentrates some very fine art treasures from its Cathedral; to the archaeological museum with some of the finest Roman wall paintings; the art museum with its 17^th and 18^th Century masters and its Oriental collection of the 19^th Century. We can round it up by visiting a friendly antique dealer whose friendliness is on par with his impeccable taste.

Gourmet Traveller
Olives – wine – Muscat. This is a hedonist trilogy from the olives to be sampled at the Olibo Olive Oil Mill (one of the most prized in France) to the wines of Languedoc, now a force on the international scene. Languedoc, since Roman times, has intertwined its history with wine making -  the landscape of the entire region is modelled by it. We will visit top vineyards in the company of their owners taking in the Corbières, the Minervois and the St Chinian from grand domains to no less deserving smaller wine makers This will  be rounded up with the Muscat Petit Grain of St Jean de Minervois, the prime Muscat in France with Beaumes de Venise from Provence. 

Cooking Demonstrations
Our gourmet Provençal chef will enjoy demonstrating to you some of his specialities in the open plan kitchen on “Roi Soleil” – all to be taken with a trusty glass of wine in hand.

Natural Sites and Village Life
The geography is very rich and extremely diverse with spectacular sites varying from the Mediterranean to the inland mountains with deep gorges as in Minerve, which is dotted in vineyards or hidden valleys such as St Chinian and Roquebrun. The village life follows the rhythm of the vine and harvest and the traditional, open-air markets.

Activities – The Young Family
If walking along the Canal or bicycling on our top of the range hybrid bikes is not enough, there are scores of activities to choose from. : swimming on the Mediterranean beaches or river gorges - scenic flights over medieval castles - Ballooning – country horse riding or rounding up the bulls on horseback – hiking on nature trails - white water rafting – four-wheel driving on Paris Dakhar ralley training tracks – eagle watching show in Carcassonne – visiting spectacular caves & prehistoric museums – windsurfing – African wildlife reserve …

NOTE: On alternate weeks, cruise will be in reverse direction. This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.