The Riquet family retained their property rights until the French Revolution ( 1789 ), after which the Canal du Midi became the property of the French Republic . Since 1992 , the Voies navigables de France ( VNF ), has been responsible for the Canal du Midi . Under Napoleon , a canal company was established in which the sovereign had a 90 per cent share . In 1858 , the waterway was leased to a rail company , but in 1898 it was returned to the French government .
In the 1970s , an attempt was made to widen the Canal du Midi to make it possible for larger boats to navigate . However , due to the construction of the motorway that runs parallel , this plan was soon abandoned because freight can be transported far quicker by road . The main focus then became the use of the waterway by tourists . Since 1992 , the Voies navigables de France ( VNF ), the canal authority , has been responsible for the Canal du Midi .
Canal du Midi : The Ultimate Guide takes you along the length of the Canal du Midi , revealing the best places to hop off and visit . Historic sites , wonderful patisseries and boulangeries , museums , castles , vineyards , restaurants and more are covered from Sète to Toulouse .
There are top tips on how to navigate , use the locks and everything else to help you have your best boat holiday . Be warned , reading this book gives you serious wanderlust …
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Canal du Midi : The Ultimate Guide by Andrea Hoffmann and Hans Zaglitsch is published by Adlard Coles , Bloomsbury Publishing and is out now ( Paperback : £ 14.99 )