The Canal du Midi by bike from Toulouse to Carcassonne

From Toulouse to Carcassonne on the Canal des 2 mers by bike

From Toulouse to Carcassonne, this section of the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route plunges you into the splendid history of the Canal du Midi, designed in the 17th century to link Garonne to Mediterranean. The way is enchanting, following this very pretty canal with its very southern French feel. Be especially careful along the section south of Port Lauragais (and Avignonet-Lauragais), as it is not laid out or signposted at time of writing and requires appropriate bikes.

The Naurouze Threshold

The Naurouze Threshold is a structure unique in the world, conceived and designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet. It marks the natural watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, where the water flows split in two. A stroll around Naurouze Park, sheltered by its centuries-old trees, is a most pleasant experience.

Céline Deschamps / ADT AUDE

A cassoulet in Castelnaudary

The gastronomic capital of the Lauragais region, known for its famous cassoulet, Castelnaudary is the perfect stop after a good day’s cycling along the Canal du Midi to sample this traditional dish. Don’t miss the river port of Castelnaudary; its Grand Bassin is the largest on the route.

Le Canal des 2 mers à vélo - J. Damase

Visit to the fortress of Carcassonne

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medieval city of Carcassonne showcases all the architectural features of the Middle Ages: ramparts, barbicans, dry moats... All enclosed by two 3-kilometre-long walls and protected by 52 towers. The lower town is a medieval bastide offering a pleasant stroll through its shopping streets.

Tailor-made itineraries

16 Toulouse / Montgiscard

21 km

1 h 25 min

I begin

Leave Toulouse via the greenway beside the Canal du Midi, a path that is very popular with local cyclists avoiding the car-clogged city roads. The canal-side route transports you swiftly into parts shaded by centuries-old plane trees, where old barges lie sleepily in the water. Soon, the village of Montgiscard appears, and you feel you’ve left the big city behind to enter the Lauragais farmlands.

17 Montgiscard / Seuil de Naurouze

27 km

1 h 49 min

I begin

Up to Le Seuil de Naurouze, the Canal du Midi is shadowed by the Autoroute des 2 Mers motorway, but these parallel ways are worlds apart. Centuries-old plane trees continue to provide green shade for cyclists enjoying a journey transporting them back in time to another era. You should thank the canal’s Ancien Régime designer, Pierre-Paul Riquet, the many wondrous architectural designs along the canal attesting to his genius.

18 Seuil de Naurouze / Castelnaudary

13 km

49 min

I cycle often

Going from lock to lock, the canal’s towpath leads you through the heart of the Lauragais area. Le Seuil de Naurouze, at the watershed dividing the waters flowing to the Atlantic from those flowing to the Mediterranean, is a key point on the Canal du Midi, supplied by the Rigole de la Plaine channel coming down from St-Ferréol Lake. The canal continues to the town of Castelnaudary, capital of famed cassoulet bean and meat stew, but also boasting the largest canal basin on the Canal du Midi.

19 Castelnaudary / Bram

17 km

1 h 06 min

I cycle often

Leaving Castelnaudary, you pass the imposing St-Roch lock with its four interconnecting chambers. Further on, at the level of Bram’s port and the canal-side restaurant, l’Ile aux Oiseaux, a cycle track allows you to make a short detour into the centre of Bram, a town which stands out for its silhouette and its circular medieval centre, known as a ‘circulade’, a form typical of the Aude.

20 Bram / Carcassonne

24 km

1 h 36 min

I cycle often

From Bram to Carcassonne, the route runs alongside the Canal du Midi, which is in no rush, so take your time to linger over this beautiful stage. You come to the port in the lower town of Carcassonne, built originally as a fortified medieval grid-plan bastide. Above, Carcassonne’s mighty medieval citadel atop its hill dominates the surrounding countryside. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, the citadel encourages many cyclists to make a significant halt on the route here.