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Canal Du Midi Bicycle Route Map / Itinéraire Parcours velo / Fahrradkarte / Fietskaart / Cykel Kort / Sykkel Kartet / Polkupyörä Kartta / Mapa de la Bicicleta / Mappa Biciclette:

Carcassonne - Trebes

 

The bike path along the Canal Du Midi will be unpaved again but in good condition.  A small paved part is located between Ecluse de l'Eveque and Ecluse de Villedubert.  There is also a small paved part coming into Trebes from the east.  Inside Trebes itself you will have to join the very busy D610 for about 50 meters.  This part is best done on foot.

 

Bicycle Route Description

 

We pick up the route at the same point we left it yesterday, namely in front of the train station in Carcassonne.

 

Km 0.0  Cross over the bridge in front of the train station to join the bicycle path along the south bank of the Canal Du Midi.

 

Km 12.0  Arrival in village of Trebes.  Lots of traffic here, but all of it slow moving.  Stay along the south side of the Canal Du Midi.  Trebes has many good restaurants and is recommended for a lunch stop.

 

 

Historical Information

 

La Cite de Carcassonne

 

Ecluse de St Jean, 1810, single lock.  Km 108.162  Height 2.71 m.

 

Le Pont Canal du Fresquel.  1802 to 1810.  At this point the “new” Canal Du Midi running past Carcassonne joins the original path of the Canal Du Midi.  Originally the Canal Du Midi did not run through Carcassonne, but instead ran along the north of this city.  The Canal Du Midi originally followed the Fresquel creek valley, from Castelnaudary to the Aude River east of Carcassonne.  A deviation into Carcassonne would mean digging through a rocky mountain 20 meters high.  The original route was easier, shorter, and thus less costly for Paul Riquet to build.  Paul Riquet did, however, try to negotiate a deal with Carcassonne where they would help pay for the work if they wanted the canal to pass through their city.  Carcassonne was known for its manufacturing of sheets at the time.  This offer was declined.  Later, when the people in Carcassonne realized that it would have been better anyway to have the Canal Du Midi pass through their city, a new deal was made with the French government.  This new branch of the Canal Du Midi was opened in May of 1810.  The Pont Canal du Fresquel allows both the Canal Du Midi and a road to cross the Fresquel creek.

 

Ecluse de Fresquel 2, 1810, double lock.  Km 108.925  Height 5.66 m.

 

Ecluse de Fresquel 1, 1679, single lock.  Km 109.030.  Height 2.53 m.

 

Aqueduc du Trapel, 1689.  Before construction of the Fresquel Aquaduc, the Trapel Aqueduc was used to drain off excess water in the Canal Du Midi.

 

Ecluse de l’Eveque, 1680, single lock.  Km 112.793  Height 3.19 m.

 

Ecluse de Villedubert, 1680, single lock.  Km 113.543  Height 2.82 m.

 

Hydrant, 1870.  A power station has been generating power using this hydrant since 1989.  This hydrant is at the bottom of the Villedubert lock.

 

Pont Canal d’Orbiel, 1686.  Km 116.5.  Until its building, the canal crossed the River Orbiel on the level.   A dam on the Orbiel was demolished and replaced with the Aqueduct.  It was built in 1686-87 by Antoine Niquet and designed by Marshal Sebastien Vauban.  It is found in the city of Trèbes.  Before the construction of this aquaduc, boats on the Canal Du Midi used a deviation canal to cross the Orbiel river upstream.  A lock keepers house is still visible at this point.  The deviation canal is now used as a water feed for the Canal Du Midi.

 

Things to see and do around this part of the Canal Du Midi on your bike tour

 

For information about Carcassonne, please visit the Carcassonne page (too much to list here)

 

L’Eglise St Etienne in Trebes is worth a visit.  This church was first mentioned in a paper from 1253.  It is home to 320 wooden panel paintings from the 14th century depicting men, women, and animals.  These paintings were discovered in 1977 when part of the church's ceiling came tumbling down, once again shedding light on these long forgotten decorations.  Free guided tours in July and August organized by the local tourist office in 3 languages: French, English, and Spanish.

 

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Markets along the Canal Du Midi

 

Carcassonne: Food market on Place Carnot every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning.  7 AM to 1 PM.

Carcassonne: Flea market on Bd Barbes every saturday morning.

Carcassonne: Covered market Bastide Saint Louis every day except Sunday and Monday.

Carcassonne: Clothing market on Square Gambetta et Bd Jean Jaurès each saturday morning.

 

Trebes: Large market with food, clothing, etc. each Sunday on the south side of Trebes, along D610 south of the Aude river.  9 AM to 1 PM.

 

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