Canal du Midi

(känäl` dü mēdē`), canal, c.150 mi (240 km) long, linking Sète and Toulouse, S France. It was built to carry oceangoing ships between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, but because of its size it now carries only barge traffic.

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enjoying a boating holiday in a Magnificue on the Canal du Midi, France.

Nothing narrow about the canal boats in France; The Great Escape Comfortable way to enjoy rural delights

Don't miss sailing on the Canal du Midi across the aqueduct over the River Orb, up the Fonserannes seven–lock staircase and through the world's oldest canal tunnel at Malpas.

A VINE ROMANCE; From barges and canals to history and cafes, cathedral city Beziers is one of France's overlooked wine capitals..it's something else the Romans did for us

Sometimes the Canal du Midi gets congested, particularly at the lock staircase at Beziers

Do-it-yourself river cruising; TRAVEL River cruising is all the rage this year - so why not hit the water and give it a try in your own boat like EDWARD STEPHENS?

Capestang hangs to on the side of the picturesque Canal Du Midi where we had a wonderfully relaxing barge trip.

Falling for Languedoc; HOLIDAYS

Spring is a glorious time to visit and guests will be spoilt for choice for things to do [ETH] from relaxing on the sun terrace with a good book, enjoying a bbq and lively boules tournament in the grounds, taking a bicycle ride along the Canal du Midi or participating in the big Easter Egg Hunt taking place in the beautiful garden on Easter Sunday.

Inside Air Travel

I remember the leafless branches of the giant sycamores, lining the banks of the Canal du Midi in southern France, dancing to the music of the tramontane - the wind of the mountains, that tasted of the snows of Auvergne and Lozere.

Daps at the ready... Mark Rowlands (inset right) has run for most of his life. He is also a professor of philosophy. And for him the two - running and philosophising - are inextricably connected. In Running with the Pack he tells us about the most significant runs of his life

Taking responsibility for a six berth motor cruiser and navigating it unscathed along France''s famous Canal du Midi is no easy task.

ALL aboard

The best route into Carcassonne is by employing pedal power along the banks of the Canal du Midi, which stretches 240 kilometres across the south of the country.

Up close and delightful; Sun, scenery and history make Languedoc-Roussillon one of the must-see regions of France. RACHEL WEARMOUTH gets on her bike to view the sights

It's sliced across by great rivers, the Garonne, the Lot and the Tarn, and by the mighty Canal Du Midi which connects the Atlantic at Bordeaux with the Mediterranean.

TIME was when holidays to France meant a Channel [...]; Euan David crosses the Channel to find a new Gallic region to explore - the Midi Pyrenees

With the remarkable 240km-long Canal du Midi, linking the Atlantic to the Med, a water park, theme park, go-kart racing and water sports, it is an impressive area to explore.

Parc lifestyle

As the name suggests, this popular sport and pass-time in southern France is a cross between Henley and Camelot - lance-wielding 'knights' tilting at each other from the prows of open narrow boats charging up and down a small stretch of the Canal du Midi, Originating in the picturesque port of Sete centuries ago, it re mains a cherished cultural tradition in the Languedoc region where fierce rivalries have developed between neighbouring towns like Agde and Meze, Many stage their own tournaments during the summer festival season when holiday-makers join the locals to savour this testosterone-charged duel and one of the more popular is Challenge Navaratte - named after famous jouster Maurice Navarette - which is held in the small town of Vias every year.

messing We're joust the water on around; Wonderfully un-PC France a splash hit at festival time

Together with my wife and the two friends who were on board we have navigated various French canals, including the Canal du Midi, but mooring up there usually tends to be along the waterways and is easier.

Tranquil waters; Edward Stephens navigates the waterways of northern Germany and discovers an area rich in history, both good and bad