Canal du midi
French words:
Canal du midi
alternative words: South canal, Southern canal keywords: human heritage , tourist resort , transport related topics: Toulouse related web sites: http://www.canaldumidi.com explanation: In 1662, French King Louis XIV asked Pierre Paul Riquet to create a direct navigable route from the Atlantic ocean to the Mediterranean sea by avoiding Spain hostile to France. Begun in 1666 and achieved in 1681 with 12000 workers, Canal du Midi connects Toulouse on Garonne river and Sete on the Mediterranean through ingenious mechanism such as tunnels and bridges over rivers. Considered as a major technical realization of 17th century, Canal du Midi has been enlisted to Unesco human heritage since 1996. | |