Originally, Carcassonne was not on the Canal's route. It is only in 1810 that the port is opened after numerous complaints from the inhabitants noticing the extent to which other towns benefitt fron the Canal.The port is located next to the buzy commercial center of the town and it is advised to take a cab up town.....

     Pierre-Paul Riquet's first plans had been to locate Carcassonne on the Canal des Deux-Mers. In 1660 the town was widely known for its sheet factories , but the town did not want to contribute to the steep building cost of 100 000 livres, which were linked to the topographical difficuties of the ground. In front of their refusal , Pierre-Paul Riquet had the canal run in the plain and built instead a port in Trèbes which become then a major halt, in the 4 days trip Séte-Toulouse .

    Under the inhabitants pressure, the States of Languedoc decided to change the canal's route and have it pass under the fortification walls of the mediaeval city. As soon as the port opened it favours the installation of distilleries establishments, sulphur refineries, press and barrel factories, foundries for manufacturing ploughs, pumps and taps and of course agricultural firms that made Carcassonne a very prosperous city.

    In 1913 Guide to Aude list 39 wine merchants, 17 cooperage workshops, 22 brokers et 19 commission-agents, 17 cartwrights et 10 blacksmiths. It shows the full activity that was then in the Carcassonne port.

    Founded in the XIIIth century on Roman vestiges Carcassone is divided into a lower part and the walled city. In 1998 Carcassonne was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

     Later the Wisigoths and then the region noblemen lived in the walled city. During the Cathar crusade the city was besiege and conquer by the kings of France .The walls were doubled and it then became a reserve city . It was slowly falling in ruins when in the end of the XVIIIIth century the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc restaured it.

     Between Carcassonne and Trèbes, the Orbeil aqueduc, designed by the military architect Vauban, is a three arches bridge built in 1688 by Colin and Launet. Vauban contributed to the 40 aqueducts construction on the Pierre Paul Riquet's canal. Aqueducts were necessary for the passage of crafts in order to avoid river navigation.

     Market days : Tuesday and saturday mornings

    To see and visit in the fortified town of Carcassonne :
     The Pont Vieux
     The Lapidaire Museuml
     The Château Comtal
     The Saint-Nazaire and Saint-selve cathedrals

     To see and visit in the lower town of Carcassonne :
     The XIIIth-XVth Saint-Michel cathedral
     The Saint Vincent church dating from the XIIIth-XVth centurys
     The covered XVIIIth century wheat market
     The XVIIIth century Jacobins gate
     The XIIIth -XVth Notre Dame de la Santé and the church des Carmes
     Museum of Arts
     The birds Museum

     To see and visit in the out- skirts of Carcassonne :
     At Pech Mary, eagles in liberty
     The Orbiel aqueduct, a three-arch canal-bridge, located less than 3km from Carcassonne
     Fresquel aqueduct opened to navigation in 1810
     Epanchoir de Foucaud jardin botanique de 500 espèces de plantes méditerranéenne
    The medieval village of Conques sur Orbiel, 10 Km on the road to Caunes Minervois
     Villalier at 5 km on the road to Caunes Minervois
     In Trassanel 20 km away from the city, the departmental speleology centre
     The Limousis Grottoes 20 Km on the way to Trassanel
     The Caprespine abyss 38 KM on the Caunes Minervois road
     The canoë-kayak departmental centre.

     Happenings :

     The old city conflagration
    The mediaeval Carcassonne

     Boating House: 04.68.71.74.12

   Where to eat :
     Le Saint-Jean, Place st Jean
     Le château, place du Château
     Le comte Roger, 14 rue Saint Louis

     Where to sleep :
     Hôtel de la Cité- St Nazaire Square
     The Octroi, 106 avenue du Général Leclerc
      Auriac Domain, route de St Hilaire.

Cruise on the Canal des Deux-Mers

Visit the town of Carcassonne