The Canal du Midi is the UNESCO World Heritage Site in France consisting of the 17th-century canal linking Toulouse with the Mediterranean Sea.
The canal was designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet and opened in 1681. It runs from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau, a lagoon connected to the Mediterranean near Sète. Together with connected waterways, it created an inland route that avoided the longer sea journey around the Iberian Peninsula.
The project was a major engineering achievement under Louis XIV. Its locks, bridges, aqueducts, reservoirs, and tree-lined banks were designed to manage water and navigation across varied terrain. The canal’s original name was the Canal Royal de Languedoc; it was renamed after the French Revolution.
UNESCO inscribed the Canal du Midi in 1996 for its historical importance and its role as a landmark of hydraulic engineering. It remains navigable and is now especially popular with recreational boaters and cyclists.