The best traffic-free bike rides around Mirepeisset

Paraza is a wine-growing village in the Minervois region of the Aude, rich in its history dating back beyond the Roman period. It is marked by the construction of the Canal du Midi, during which Pierre Paul Riquet resided at the Château de Paraza during the works on the Canal and the Pont canal du Répudre.

Listed and protected as a historic monument in 1942, the canal bridge is one of the most remarkable feats of engineering on the Canal du Midi and one of the very first built in France in the mid-17th century. With its 90 m height and its single arch, the canal bridge has a massive appearance: it must indeed withstand the weight of the water and the boats. The spectacle of boats passing at a distance from the ground in a magnificent landscape of vineyards and woods amazes visitors today as it astonished those of the time of the Sun King.

Typical wine village on the Canal du Midi, dominated by its double castle, one intended for winemaking and the other serving as a residence. The latter was built in the 18th century on the ruins of a 12th-century castle. This large building with a square tower overlooking the plain with beautiful Italian terraced gardens is extended on its right by its "winegrower's folly", a 19th-century model of its kind opening its doors to the Canal du Midi.

Le Somail features remarkable buildings, including the inn, which has retained its 1773 appearance, the chapel, built between 1684 and 1693, and even an ice house. This supplied the inn and the shops of Le Somail with ice during the hot Languedoc summer days. Everything is still in place! In the heart of the village is the Pont Saint-Marcel with its remarkable semi-circular shape, typical of the early Canal du Midi bridges. Nearby, you can still admire the guard's house, which also housed the postmen. On the canal bank, you can still see the old watering trough for the draft horses.

Le Somail includes remarkable buildings, including the inn, which has retained the same appearance as in 1773, the chapel, built between 1684 and 1693, and even an ice house. This supplied the inn and the shops of Le Somail with ice during the hot summer days of Languedoc. Everything is still in place! In the heart of the village is the Pont Saint-Marcel with its remarkable semi-circular shape, typical of the first bridges of the Canal du Midi. Nearby, one can still admire the keeper's house, which also housed the postmen. On the bank of the canal, the old watering trough for the draft horses can still be seen.

Le Somail features remarkable buildings, including the inn, which has retained the same appearance as in 1773, the chapel, built between 1684 and 1693, and even an ice house. This supplied the inn and the shops of Le Somail with ice during the hot summer days of Languedoc. Everything is still in place! In the heart of the village is the Pont Saint-Marcel with its remarkable semi-circular shape, typical of the early bridges of the Canal du Midi. Nearby, one can still admire the guard's house, which also housed the postmen. On the banks of the canal, you can still see the old watering trough for the draft horses.

This 3-arch canal bridge was built between 1689 and 1690 by Jean Goudet, master mason. This work of art is 64m long. However, it was built more than a century and a half earlier. On the bridge, the canal overlooks the river by about twenty meters.

This 3-arch canal bridge was built between 1689 and 1690 by master mason Jean Goudet. This work of art is 64m long. It was, however, built more than a century and a half earlier. On the bridge, the canal overlooks the river by about twenty meters.