Photos: Christian Ferrer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 PierreSelim, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Christian Ferrer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 PierreSelim, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Canal du Midi on a slow afternoon
Your local guide
Julien Mercier
View profile
Highlights
- The Canal du Midi's plane-tree towpath
- A circular lock basin, explained
- Original seventeenth-century stonework up close
- Where three waterways once met
- Barges and cafes at Les Ponts-Jumeaux
About this tour
This session follows the Canal du Midi from its quieter stretches to the point where it meets the Garonne at Les Ponts-Jumeaux. You see the plane trees, the locks and the stonework of a waterway built almost four hundred years ago. It is a slow, visual route rather than a fast walk through the centre.
We open with a sound check on the towpath, then move at a relaxed pace with plenty of stops for the water and the trees. I answer questions about the canal's history as we go rather than saving them to the end, since most come up naturally at the locks. A short reading list on the canal's engineering follows the call.
This suits anyone who likes water, engineering history or a quieter pace than a city-centre walk. It also works well for travellers planning to cycle or walk the canal themselves afterwards.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Toulouse before heading out.
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Canal du Midi towpath 21 min
The camera follows the tree-lined towpath along the seventeenth-century canal, the plane trees planted to shade the water and the horses that once towed the barges. I explain how the whole route reached the Mediterranean without a single lock failing over three centuries.
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Port de l'Embouchure locks 21 min
You see the round lock basin where the canal meets the Garonne, one of the more unusual junctions on the whole route. I point out the original stonework and explain why the engineers chose a circular design here rather than the usual rectangle.
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Les Ponts-Jumeaux terraces 21 min
We finish by the twin bridges, where canal-side cafes look out over the water and the last barges of the day. I show you the carved plaque marking where three waterways once met, easy to miss from the towpath.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Toulouse: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Violettes de Toulouse and Capitole centre historique, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Paris time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Toulouse, showing you Canal du Midi towpath and Port de l'Embouchure locks live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- I take the call along the Canal du Midi, camera on the water and the plane trees the whole way.
Times shown in Paris time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Tue 27 Oct · 10 seats left From 24,00 €
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