THE MALPAS TUNNEL
Hidden treasures and feats of engineering
Together, the 8 communes have been gifted with a heritage which is
worth exploring: Renaissance châteaux with wineries that bespeak the
richness of the Midi in its golden age. In Maraussan, for example, you
can see the first winemaking cellar in France, which Jean Jaurès visited
Yves et Viera ne se privent pas de ce petit mo-
during its construction. It’s also in the heart of this territory that the
ment de bonheur. Et pour rester en forme,
world’s first navigable tunnel was built, an extraordinary technical feat.
ils n’hésitent pas à s’attaquer à la route qui
Built au
in the greatest secrecy, it managed to overcome the hill of Ensérune,
grimpe à l’Oppidum d’Ensérune, où arrivés
the
formidable
obstacle that almost stopped the progression of the Canal
sommet, ils découvrent au loin la mer Médi-
du
Midi,
originally
known as the Royal Canal, a 17th century work that
terranée.
links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. A “difficult passage” where canal,
railway and aqueduct criss-cross and superimpose each other in an
original and daring way.
LA COMPAGNIE
DES BATEAUX DU MIDI
Set sail aboard a cruise on the mythical Canal du Midi,
classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and discover the
Fonséranes Locks, the Malpas Tunnel, the Canal bridge over
the River Orb... the Compagnie des Bateaux du Midi offers
guided visits for an hour or a day on a barge, which you can
enhance with a typical meal in the air-conditioned restaurant
on board.
At the crossroads of the Languedoc region’s historical routes, the region
west of Béziers enjoys a rich heritage. The Canal du Midi, the master work
of Pierre-Paul Riquet, has peacefully flowed through the region since the
17thcentury. The Oppidum of Ensérune dates to Gallo-Roman times and
overlooks the oldest Roman route in Gaul, the Via Domitia, which gave
its name to our territory, ‘La Domitienne’. The archaeological site and
the Musée National d’Ensérune, regarded as one of the best in France,
overlooks another curiosity, the dry lake of Montady.
Maison du Malpas - Route de l’Oppidum - 34440 Colombiers
04 67 32 88 77 - ladomitienne.com
Maison du Malpas
Maison du site des 9 écluses - 34500 Béziers
04 67 36 51 24 - lesbateauxdumidi.com
Les Bateaux du Midi
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