'Un jour'… in Occitane South of France, discovering its heart of heritage

The canal connects Toulouse with the Mediterranean along 360km of navigable watercourse, taking in 350 feats of engineering and 63 locks. Pierre-Paul Riquet built this extraordinary construction in the late 17th century, paving the way for the industrial revolution, and an enchanting journey.

Pass the clocktower and explore the charming cobbled lanes of this must-see stopover on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Pass by the 19th century circular indoor market and you’ll find the Port de la Batellerie where the Garonne rolls by.

You need a head for heights to reach Hautpoul, the medieval Cathar city at the gateway to the Black Mountain and its endless forests... With 70m of air beneath your feet, you’re guaranteed thrills and unbeatable views of the Arnette Valley.

Three millennia of farming has carved out these contrasting landscapes of high limestone plateaus and deep-cut valleys. A UNSECO World Heritage Site, this nature park preserves the natural beauty of 3000km² of plateaus, steppes, red soils and gorges.

Its fortifications built atop the remains of a Roman-era city wall blend into the rock itself. A gothic cathedral, the Fountain of Diana, the chateau of the Counts of Armagnac, a Cordelier monastery, and a Carmelite chapel, Lectoure guards its treasures well!

Protected by vertiginous cliffs at the heart of the Causses and Cévennes, occupying what was once a loop in the Vis River, from the many vantage points along its rim it forms a verdant, peaceful setting, as if where the world was born.