Canal du Midi, Toulouse

The Canal du Midi, stretching 240 km (150 miles) through Southern France, is a testament to the ambitious engineering of the 17th century. Initially named the Canal Royal en Languedoc and rebranded during the French Revolution as Canal du Midi, this historic waterway was established to enhance the wheat trade. Its construction began in 1666 under the decree of Jean-Baptiste Colbert and was meticulously overseen by Pierre-Paul Riquet, concluding in 1681 during the reign of Louis XIV.

Linking the Garonne River to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean, the Canal du Midi forms a critical segment of the Canal of the Two Seas (Canal des Deux Mers), which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. This vast network includes the Canal du Midi, the Garonne (navigable between Toulouse and Bordeaux), the later-built Garonne Lateral Canal, and extends to the Gironde estuary after Bordeaux.

The Canal du Midi specifically refers to the section running from Toulouse to the Mediterranean. A major engineering challenge was the supply of water from the Montagne Noire to the Seuil de Naurouze, the canal's highest point, a problem ingeniously solved by Riquet.

Recognized for its pioneering design and engineering, the Canal du Midi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and named an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2016. Today, it remains one of the oldest functioning canals in Europe and a symbol of innovative civil engineering.