TRIP FINDER
Enjoy easy riding along the Canal du Midi for the star-studded section from medieval Carcassonne to Narbonne vineyard and Mediterranean Sea.
2022 per person price
| CLASSIC TOUR | 930€ |
| CLASSIC + TOUR | 1070€ |
| DELUXE TOUR | 1450€ |
* Price based on double room occupancy - please contact us for details on single room supplements
| CLASSIC PACKAGE | |
| 1 Night Hotel le Montmorency in Carcassonne | www.lemontmorency.com |
| 1 Night Auberge Côté Jardin in Conilhac Corbieres | www.auberge-cotejardin.com |
| 2 Nights Hotel La Residence in Narbonne | www.hotelresidence.fr |
| CLASSIC + PACKAGE | |
| 1 Night Hotel du Chateau in Carcassonne | www.hotelduchateau.net |
| 1 Night Chateau de Siran in Siran | www.chateau-de-siran.com |
| 2 Nights Le C Boutique Hotel in Narbonne | www.hotel-le-c.com |
| DELUXE PACKAGE | |
| 1 Night Hotel de La Cité in Carcassonne | www.hotel-de-la-cite.com |
| 1 Night Chateau de Siran in Siran | www.chateau-de-siran.com |
| 2 Nights Ile du Gua Suites in Narbonne | www.moulindugua.com |
It is hard to believe that Carcassonne is real, when you first approach it from afar. The ancient city, (a settlement here from as far back as 3500 BC), sits majestically high, and is ringed completely by its castle-like ramparts. The city and its fortifications were rated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. You'll soak up the view from your hotel, located by the medieval walls. You will have time to relax and read your package of trip information by the swimming pool, before wandering in to explore the cobblestoned streets.
After your bike fitting this morning, you have a relaxing, easy ride , as the route leaves Carcassonne and follows the roads and bike paths along the Canal (flat!). Your route takes you through a mix of villages with odd names, stemming from the regional language, which for centuries was not French, but the local "Occitan": Marseillette, Puichéric (with its 13th century church and annual pig festival) and La Redorte. You pass a first feat of canal engineering as well, the bridge of Orbiel, passing the canal right over the Orbiel River! At the end of the day leave the canal bike path to ride through the tiny roads and villages of the picturesque Corbieres vineyards – perhaps stop for a wine tasting, as your ride is almost finished... Your goal is a small village in the heart of vineyard territory, built around the region’s traditional curved central street, which are a vestige of the protective ramparts during a more tumultuous era. (*please note the CLASSIC itinerary stays in nearby Conilhac-Corbieres)
Pedal the beautiful terrain of Minervois and Corbieres vineyards today through typical ancient villages. Return first to the Canal bike path in Homps, an ancient commercial port, where the regional barrels of wine were loaded into boats for the journey to Bordeaux. The small village today is charming and quite tranquil, making it hard to imagine its busy past. You’ll continue on and off the Canal bike path all the way to Le Somail, with its pretty stone-arch bridges, at which point you leave the canal for good this time, heading south through the olive groves, vineyards, and flowered fields to Narbonne. Narbonne, used to be a port town, until centuries of silt built up – it is now 10 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. But it reminds us of its previous importance, with its canals, 13th century Cathedral, and Archbishops Palace, Roman horreum, and, today, a plethora of restaurants and lively squares.
Decisions, decisions… two possible rides await today, quite different, and both great. The Abbey of Fontefroide, is in the heart of the Fontfroide Massif made up of 4000 hectares of unspoiled nature. Bathed by the chilly Fontfroide stream (Fontfroide means literally cold spring), this sumptuous 12th and 13th century Cistercian complex and its winery are nestled in the heart of a beautiful and typically Mediterranean landscape. The slightly rolling ride there and back is one option. Alternately, head south along the canal de la Robine bike path towards the fantastic sandy beaches of Le Gruissan. Flat marshes, grasses, and birds are your scenery as you approach the Mediterranean. You’ll get views of the Barberousse Tower as you approach the seaside town. We recommend a visit to the Sea salt factory with its great local seafood restaurant, or simply head to the beach and enjoy the lively scenery (and perhaps some windsurfers) there!
After a final breakfast, you can catch the train from Beziers train station for your further travels. Bon Voyage!
