Cycle and Barge the Canal du Midi

Argeliers - part of the towpath used for bikes
The Canal du Midi towpath runs along the entire length of the canal

…and afterwards, rest onboard the luxury hotel barge Athos.

The Canal du Midi towpath stretches the entire length of the tree-lined canal.  The path was historically built for the mules that towed freight barges down the canal. It is the Athos answer to a bike path – and for some passengers, a pleasant way of keeping off the gourmet pounds brought on by Athos’ onboard Chef and an indulgent week of food and wine.

Luxury hotel-barge Athos carries 10 onboard “BTwin” hybrid mountain/road bicycles for passengers’ use.  Purchased new in 2011, most Athos passengers enjoy at least a few short rides per week by cruise passengers, and some additional use by crew members who shuffle Athos’ minivans to and from various moorings.

Btwins on Athos deck
Athos' deck with line-up of hybrid BTwin bicycles

The tree-lined canal is an ideal setting for the bikes:  shady in the hottest of Languedoc temperatures and completely isolated from road traffic.   What better place to ride surrounded by the glorious rural scenery:  vineyards, old stone farm buildings, the occasional boat gliding buy?

 

Minerve and the Cathar Past

Cathar Chateau at Minerve, Languedoc France
Cathar Chateau at Minerve, on-shore visit from luxury hotel barge Athos

History of the Cathars while Cruising with luxury hotel barge Athos

Minerve is one of the most memorable hilltop towns that has been made famous for its Cathar past. On the countless times I've taken tourists here I very often hear that in spite of Minerve’s much smaller scale, Athos passengers enjoyed the experience more than the Medieval Cite of Carcassonne.  As Minerve was the site of a pretty gruesome siege against the Cathar sect in the 14thC, I can only speculate that people are so overcome by the intensely beautiful setting, that they are able to come away with a feeling that the past has made peace with the land.

Minerve sits perched between two deep gorges:  the Brian on one side and the Cesse on the other.  They converge and wind their way through the craggy, vineyard-covered landscape creating a natural moat, which surrounds the village.   Two bridges give access over the gorge and into the isolated village:  the “Old Bridge” (Circa?? no-one knows) and the “New Bridge”, (a mere 200-years old).

Is the visit worth a week’s luxury hotel barge cruise?  Definitely.

Dove Sculpture at Minerve
visit to Cathar Chateau at Minerve, Dove sculpture

Pezenas – a Visit from the Luxury Hotel Barge

Luxury hotel barge Athos visits charming villages while cruising the Canal du Midi

…Have recently returned from another excursion to Pezenas.  Pezenas’ claim to fame is that the playwright, Moliere, settled here for a few years during the time of the 14thC Languedoc Court.

Captured by the magic of Pezenas

Pezenas Bougainvillea
Pezenas entry towers by Old wall
14thC Hotel Lacoste at Pezenas
Gothic archways in the 14thC Lacoste Mansion

Although I’ve visited countless times before, I admit to always being enchanted by its:

  • 14th C Languedoc court mansions with architecture rare to villages in this area;
  • Small, pretty and perfectly kept garden courtyards;
  • Delightful artisan shop-windows;
  • Enticing antique-shops,
  • Gourmet sweet shops,
  • Tiny tapas restaurants,
  • Potters, milliners and costume-makers.
Bountiful Olives at Pezenas market
Olives at Pezenas market

On this particular visit, we stumbled on buskers.  Groups of children gathered and sat, captured by Bach duets for clarinet and violin.  Behind all this, the morning market was in full throng with summer tourists.

Athos is an Owner-Operated Luxury hotel barge, and so we take a particular interest in making sure that clients who cruise with us enjoy all of the land-based visits.  Pezenas is a fantastic example of a village slightly off the beaten track, but chock-full of pleasant surprises.