Vineyards, Views & Mediterranean Blues

You’ll have the Canal du Midi and its stream of boats for companions as you cycle out from Toulouse onto the wide fertile plains of the Lauragais region. And what a contrast! Leaving the towering heights and massive Romanesque architecture of the city behind, the landscape soon swaps to gentle, hill-backed countryside, dotted with canal locks, low-lying churches and more modest bell-towers, like the one at Montesquieu-Lauragais. Woad for dyeing textiles was big 16th century business here and the area was soon dubbed ‘Pays de Cocagne’, referring to the little ‘cakes’ of woad traded here.

Cathar Crusaders and journeying Santiago de Compostella pilgrims also brought wealth to this ‘Land of Plenty’, as the magnificent 14th century Gothic church of Notre-Dame des Miracles testifies at Aignonet-Lauragais. Some half-timbered town houses here date from the 1200s, but it’s the castle, ramparts and tales of the horrific 13th century Cathar massacre which leave the biggest impression…

From food for thought to more wholesome Haute Garonne offerings – no stop-over at the port of Castelnaudary would be complete without sampling ‘sur place’ its renowned local dish, the hot-pot favourite, Cassoulet. A hearty meat and bean stew, it almost equates to the UK’s Lent pancake – a use-up-everything-to-hand sort of recipe, reputedly created to beef up the locals before England’s Plantagenet Black Prince besieged the town in 1355.

Overnight in Castelnaudary.

Miles  38 Kms 60

More photogenic locks, aqueducts and bridges to view or cross today on route to castle capital, Carcassonne! Pedal through beautiful landscapes along the Canal du Midi towards Bram, where it’s worth briefly leaving the towpath to explore this ‘circulade’ village-cum-port, with its early medieval streets and town walls encircling the fortress church.

After picturesque Rebenty aqueduct and Béteillie lock, the little village of Sainte-Eulalie encourages another quick detour for a closer look at its Romanesque belltower – likewise the fortified village of Pennautier complete with 17th century castle.

But nothing compares to (or prepares you for!) the mighty medieval fortress city of Carcassonne, set on the banks of the River Aude – the biggest surviving fortress of its kind in Europe, with over 50 towers and bastions. Significantly restored in the 19th century, the castle dominates and incorporates the city, and the defences deliver some fantastic views of the beautiful Aude countryside. Don’t miss a stroll along ‘Les Lices’, the lawned stretches between the double walls, for a breath-taking sense of the scale of the place, but you’ll want to pop in to some of the other outstanding attractions like the Musée des Beaux-Arts and Satint-Nazaire Basilica too.

Overnight in Carcassonne.

Miles  26  Kms  42

A day of shady plane trees and cypresses, vineyards and villages on route to Vauban’s ‘argent double’ engineering masterpiece at La Redorte and the ancient commercial harbour a little further along the Canal du Midi at Homps.

At Trèbes you’ll encounter the old Roman crossing of the Aude River, built to enable their military road to stretch from Carcassonne to Narbonne unhindered. But there’s plenty of magnificent 17th century engineering to wonder at too. Count the locks and look out for canal ‘architecture’ created between 1666-1680 including the fine Orbiel aqueduct.

Finally pass through or close to château-dotted vineyard villages like Puichéric and Roquecourbe-Minervois to La Redorte, home to the ‘argent double’ system created by Vauban to keep the Canal du Midi canal clear of flood waters, and the former commercial port of Homps.

Overnight in Homps (or La Redorte).

Miles  26 (23) Kms 42 (37)

A day of pedalling the towpaths of the Canal du Midi as it runs alongside the River Aude through the Minervois area.

Pass Argens-Minervois and the turreted castle of Ventenac-en-Minervois as you enjoy the cool shade of pines and plane trees and pedal by the boating highway to Le Somail. This village is full to the brim with canal history, complete with storehouses, a chapel, humpback bridge and travellers’ rest all dating back to the time of the canal’s construction.

The bridge of Argeliers comes into view on the way to historic Capestang – a charming place for an overnight. Don’t miss the 14th century Collegiate Church of Saint-Etienne – reputedly Languedoc’s finest example of Gothic architecture – or the early medieval castle, once residence of the archbishops of Narbonne.

Overnight in Capestang.

Miles  26 (30) Kms 42 (48)

Time to head for the Med, taking in some of the Canal du Midi’s finest masterpieces along the way. Canal-hugging cycling leads first to the awesome Malpas Tunnel carved into solid rock, followed by the amazing nine lock wonder known as the Fonseranes Staircase near historic Béziers.

From Agde, where the square towers and black basalt fortifications of St Etienne cathedral rise above the Hérault river quayside, point the handlebars southwards, leaving the waterways to dip down the delta towards the Mediterranean Sea. Heading for the beaches by the picturesque Pointe de Rochelongue, your overnight at the Cap d’Agde is just a short distance from the wide sandy stretches and cooling Mediterranean breezes – time to put your feet up, or a toe in the water perhaps?

Overnight in Cap d’Agde.

Miles  31  Kms  50

Leave Cap d’Agde after breakfast. Transfer by taxi to Agde to enjoy the Mediterranean flavours of this originally Greek city. There are regional trains from Agde to Béziers and back to Carcassonne if you wish.