Canal du Midi

World Heritage

France

🎧 Listen to Introduction

This 360-kilometre network of navigable waterways, connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.), is one of the most outstanding civil engineering feats of the modern era. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. Its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, put a lot of thought into its design and the way it integrates with its surroundings, turning a technical achievement into a work of art.

# Industrial Revolution