Canal du Midi by boat - Toulouse Access

Casting off from Négra, between Castelnaudary and Toulouse, you can travel back three centuries in time on the Canal du Midi. Sailing west, the shaded waterway with its century-old plane trees will take you all the way to Toulouse. The Ville Rose or Pink City, with the Garonne river running through it, has an exceptional cultural, historic and artistic heritage for your boating holidays in France. Initially built in 250 to house the relics of Saint Saturnin, it became one of the most important centres for pilgrimage in the medieval west. Today it is the largest preserved Romanesque church in Europe. To the east of Négra, head towards Carcassonne. Splendidly restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, Carcassonne is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its 52 turrets, it is the largest medieval fortress in Europe. From its double ring of walls the view is breath-taking.