Regions of France

Considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century. The 240km long canal connects the Garonne (Bordeaux) to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean and, along with the 193 km long Canal de Garonne, forms the Canal des Deux Mers, joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Today, it is one of the most popular waterways for cruising including luxury hotel barges plying this gastronomically rich region. Canal du MIDI Montpellier Graceful and easy-going, Montpellier is a stylish metropolis with elegant buildings, grand hôtels particuliers (private mansions), stately boulevards and shady backstreets, and gorgeous white- sand beaches just to the south on its doorstep. The population swelled in the 1960s when many French settlers left independent Algeria and relocated here, and it’s now France's fastest-growing city and one of its most multicultural. Students make up over a third of the population, giving it a spirited vibe. Nîmes Nîmes is heralded as the 'Rome of France', and it's easy to see why. Two millennia ago it was one of the most important cities of Roman Gaul, as evidenced by its incredible collection of Roman buildings, including a magnificent amphitheatre and a 2000-year-old temple. There are also plenty of museums and markets to explore in Nîmes' palm-lined streets, as well as a host of high- profile festivals throughout the year. In many respects the medieval ‘ Cité de Carcassonne’ is a very large monument in as much as it was rebuilt with a fair degree of romantic/poetic license in 1853, perhaps accounting for its almost Disney-like skyline. Yet, whatever you might say, by sheer dimension it is probably the most well known (and well visited) medieval fortified town in France consisting of a staggering 52 watch towers, a double layer of walls and a labyrinth of winding alleys within. Occupying a strategic hilltop position along the vital Aude River Valley trade route between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, it was first fortified by the Romans around 100BC. Major additions and modifications were made throughout the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries resulting in a very impressive, self-sufficient and impenetrable citadel. A city within a city that survived regular besieging, but then was abandoned, and even received an order for demolition from Napoleon Bonaparte. Today, it attracts over 4 million visitors, and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Carcassonne 36