The Canal du Midi is an impressive structure that’s full of surprises. It runs through Béziers Méditerranée and has made the area famous! But what about the epic building work it required and what are its key features today?
Let’s try and unlock its secrets with some key figures!
- Length: 240km between Toulouse and Sète
- Width: 20-24m
- Depth: 2m average
- Structures: 63 locks, 350 bridges, spillways, reservoirs etc.
- Construction site staff: 11,400 men and 600 women
- Reach: up to the Atlantic, between Toulouse and Bordeaux, via the Canal de Garonne (193km, built between 1838 and 1856).
- Construction duration: 14 years (1667-1681).
- Visitor numbers: approx. 8000 boats pass through the Fonseranes locks in Béziers every year between mid-March and late October.