HIGHLIGHTS

Barging on the Canal du Midi

length: 100 feet

width: 16 feet

3 spacious staterooms with ensuite bathrooms

twin or queen beds

air conditioned

large pircture windows in the lounge and bedrooms

CLAIR DE LUNE

The Canal du Midi is one of the oldest canals in Europe.   Linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean, this 17th century engineering feat by Paul Riquet was achieved in only 16 years using the labor of 16,000 men and women.   It is no wonder that this masterpiece was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

Discover this beautiful and magnificent waterway onboard Clair de Lune, a custom designed barge hotel for the Canal du Midi.   Six guests can enjoy luxury and comfort in the three spacious twin or queen-bedded air-conditioned cabins.  The very large windows are a great asset.

Canal du Midi Cruise Itinerary

Bordering the Mediterranean between the Pyrenean mountains and the Rhone river valley, our week-long cruise takes you through either Provence and the Camargue or the Languedoc-Roussillon regions of Southern France.  

Arriving in 753 BC, long before the Romans, the Greeks introduced grape vines to these regions.   Today, the far-reaching traditions of winemaking can be appreciated while tasting the excellent wines now being produced in France’s largest vineyard.   Local grape varieties such as Carignan are grown alongside more recently introduced Merlot, Chardonnay and the lesser known Viognier.    Discover the “Via Domitia” (118 BC), the oldest Roman Road in Gaul.   Originally intended for military use, this route has stimulated the exchange of goods and ideas for over 2,000 years.

Barging in the rural countryside of the Camargue and Provence, famous for pink flamingos, white horses and black bulls, makes for an exotic experience.   Take in the excitement of a ‘Course Camarguaise’, the local style bullfight, where young men attempt to retrieve tassles from the bulls horns.   Visit Nimes, the pearl of the Roman Empire with its 1 st century Roman arena and the famous ‘maison carrée’; soak-up the atmosphere of Van Gogh’s adopted home of Arles; and see the Papal palace in Avignon.  Wander through the walled city of Aigues Mortes, founded by Louis IX in the 11 th century as an embarkation port for the crusades and is now 5 miles from the Sea.

While in the Languedoc-Roussillon enjoy glimpses of the snow-capped Pyrenees or the tranquil beauty of 12 th century Romanesque Abbeys such as Fontfroide or Caunes-Minervois.  Visit Narbonne, the first Roman settlement in Gaul, with its lovely 13th century Gothic cathedral and lively covered market.   Among the vineyards, visit the Amphoralis museum built above an ancient Roman pottery where 3,000 amphoras were produced daily for shipping wines as far as England and Egypt.   Stroll around the ancient Oppidum d’Ensérune, a sun-drenched archaeological Gallo-Roman hilltop settlement or explore Carcassonne, Europe’s largest and most complete medieval walled city.   This “fairy-tale” like castle town is a masterpiece of military architecture.

Barge cruises can be adapted to your groups special interests.   Common themes include gourmet food & wine tours, art history tours, golf or cycling, local festivals and cultural events or activities for families.


(Larger view)

 

Deck Plan

(Larger view)

 

Meeting Point

You will be picked up with a minibus from a convenient designated airport or train station close to your cruise embarkation point.  At the end of your cruise you will be accompanied to a convenient transfer point for your onward journey.

Included in price

  • Round trip transfers in our air-conditioned minibus from a pre-designated meeting and drop-off point (airport, train station, car rental agency, or your hotel).
  • Accommodation for six guests in three-double or twin bedded staterooms, each with private en-suite facilities.
  • Champagne Welcome upon boarding.
  • All meals including wine plus a
    well-stocked bar is at your disposal.
  • Use of the bicycles and the large collection of books and music.
  • All proposed excursions and visits (including entrance fees) with our guide in the air-conditioned minibus.

Not Included in price

Travel Insurance (highly recommended).  items of a personal nature such as use of the telephone.  Gratuities for the crew are at your discretion.

Departure Dates

Every Saturday May through October.

OnBoard@connoisseurstravel.com

 


OUR FEATURED

CANALS & BARGES

 

BURGUNDY

 

UPPER LOIRE

 

CANAL DU MIDI/

PROVENCE