Between Bastides and Southern Delights

The Seuil de Naurouze marks the highest point of the Canal du Midi. Here, waters arriving from the Montagne Noire split in two,flowing westward to the Atlantic and eastward to the Mediterranean. It is the watershed line. Set off on a hike through the Lauragais hills surrounding the Seuil de Naurouze. You’ll discover villages with Cathar heritage, follow part of the Arles Way (one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela), and enjoy sweeping views over a stunning landscape.

Visit the historic NOT pottery workshop (active since 1820) and learn how the iconic earthenware cassoulet dish is made.

Discover the town from the water aboard your barge, reflecting in the grand basin of Castelnaudary. Moor at the small basin to explore the 13th-century Saint-Michel Collegiate Church and the Cugarel Windmill, and to taste Castelnaudary’s famous cassoulet.

As you pass Villepinte on your boat holiday, admire its canal-side aqueduct and explore the Romanesque and Gothic church in the village.

One of the oldest hamlets in the Aude, Bram is built in a circular plan typical of Languedoc villages, centered around its former castle with a 13th-century church above. The churches of Saint-Julien and Sainte-Basilisse attest to this past. The original fortress disappeared during the Crusades; only a few vestiges remain.