Day 1: Toulouse
Individual arrival in Toulouse until late afternoon. Information talk and bike handover. Life in Toulouse takes place in cafés and along the Garonne at the old harbor, the Toulousains meet on the Place St. George for tapas. There is much to see: the Basilica of St. Sernin, the Place du Capitole or the Augustin Museum.
Day 2: Toulouse – Castelnaudary, approx. 60 km
Castelnaudary is the largest port on the Canal du Midi, here even the largest wine freighters could turn around. French people take long ways to pay culinary tribute to the city of the hearty bean stew "Cassoulet".
Day 3: Castelnaudary – Mirepoix, approx. 50 km
Up to Bram you follow the Canal du Midi, then it goes towards the Pyrenees. On an old railroad line converted for cyclists, the path climbs moderately, you roll through railroad tunnels, over viaducts and bridges to Mirepoix, an enchanting bastide from the Middle Ages.
Day 4: Mirepoix – Carcassonne, approx. 60 km
Back through the Ariége countryside, a quiet and meditative agricultural landscape with rolling hills, to Carcassonne. There the imposing Cité awaits you, the largest fortified city in Europe, you have arrived in the heart of the Cathars.
Day 5: Round trip to Montolieu, approx. 40 km
The beautiful book town is located on the edge of the Montagne Noire, here you will find 15 antiquarian bookstores with over 200,000 books. The former royal textile manufactory was put under monument protection, many artists have a studio here today.
Day 6: Carcassonne – Olonzac, approx. 45 km
Olonzac is the center of the winegrowers in the Minervois, Homps was the shipping port. Vines everywhere, the Montagne Noire and the Corbière in sight, here you practice doing nothing at the Canal.
Day 7: Olonzarc/surroundings – Narbonne, approx. 45 km
Destination of your journey today is Narbonne, you change to the Canal, drive along the Canal de la Robine towards the Mediterranean Sea. Great buildings of the Middle Ages are the unfinished cathedral and the palace of the archbishops. Another highlight is the "Les Halles", it was awarded as the most beautiful market hall in France.
Day 8: Narbonne – Béziers, approx. 45 km
You drive via Capestang to Béziers, passing the famous Canal tunnel. Béziers, once a rich wine metropolis, is the birthplace of Paul Riquet, the builder of the Canal du Midi. The city is dominated by the Archbishop’s Palace, and the attraction on the Canal are the Neuf Écluses, the Nine Locks.
Day 9: Béziers – Sète, approx. 65 km
The further you cycle, the saltier the air becomes. The cycle path leads directly along the sea towards Sète, the largest French fishing town on the Mediterranean, also called "Little Venice of the Languedoc" because of its many canals. Here you can combine an evening walk with a good meal, the origin of the city is Italian - the cuisine too.
Day 10: Sète
Individual return journey or start of your extension.
