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Itineraries for Narbonne
Narbonne -> Agde -> Narbonne
One Week Return Trip
Cruising from Narbonne, Salles-D’Aude is a beautiful little village where nearby a Roman pottery was recently uncovered and is worth a visit along with the aqueduct, which dates from 2nd century AD. At Beziers, famous for being the birthplace of Pierre Paul Riquet, founder of the Canal du Midi, visit the cathedral of St Nazaire on the top of the hill, it offers spectacular views of the city.
Narbonne -> Carcassonne -> Narbonne
One Week Return Trip
Your cruise takes you from the Canal de la Robine along the Canal du Midi. Narbonne is a beautiful Roman town, home to a number of cultural sights including the unfinished Saint Just Cathedral and the spectacular Archbishop’s Palace with its Museum of Arts and History. On your way to the Medieval town of Carcassonne, Le Somail is a great stopping point, set in a peaceful corner of the Midi you will find artists’ workshops, a hat museum, second hand bookshops and wine tastings at the chateau.
Narbonne -> Trebes
One Week One Way Trip
Cruising from Narbonne, Salles-D’Aude is a beautiful little village where nearby a Roman pottery was recently uncovered and is worth a visit along with the aqueduct, which dates from 2nd century AD. Le Somail is a great stopping point, and set in a peaceful corner of the Midi. Here you will find artists’ workshops, a hat museum, second hand bookshops and wine tastings at the chateau. Homps overlooks a wide plain towards the Montagne Noir (Black Mountain), visit the 12th century Romanesque chapel or one of the several wine producers found here.
Narbonne -> Aigues-Mortes -> Narbonne
Two Week Return Trip
Cruising from Narbonne, Salles-D’Aude is a beautiful little village where nearby a Roman pottery was recently uncovered and is worth a visit along with the aqueduct, which dates from 2nd century AD. At Beziers, a town famous for being the birthplace of Pierre Paul Riquet, founder of the Canal du Midi, visit the cathedral of St Nazaire on the top of the hill, it offers spectacular views of the city. Take a tour of the wine cellars at Marseillian, and at Sete there is an environmental research centre open to the public that houses many tropical fish. When you reach Aigues-Mortes enjoy a stroll around the town that was built in the 13th century.
Narbonne -> Castelnaudary-> Narbonne
Two Week Return Trip
Cruising from Narbonne, stop at Salles-D’Aude, a beautiful little village where nearby a Roman pottery was recently uncovered and is worth a visit along with the aqueduct, which dates from 2nd century AD. Further on, Argens-Minervois is lovely town typical of the Minervois region and overlooks the canal and the Aude River. Trebes is a little town crossed by the River Aude and the Canal du Midi and there are cycle paths between Trebes and Carcassonne ideal for daily excursions. Castelnaudary lies at the heart of the Lauragais region, this town has an abundance of tourist attractions including the Moulin de Cugarel, the church of Notre Dame de la Pitie and Le Grand Bassin, a vast stretch of water offering good mooring and a beautiful port.
Local Information
Narbonne is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon région. It is in the Aude département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about 15 km from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Narbonne is linked to the nearby Canal du Midi and the Aude River by the Canal de la Robine, which runs through the centre of town.
Narbonne was established in Gaul in 118 BC, as Colonia Narbo Martius. It was located on the Via Domitia, the first Roman road in Gaul, built at the time of the foundation of the colony, and connecting Italy to Spain. Geographically, Narbonne was therefore located at a very important crossroads because it was situated where the Via Domitia connected to the Via Aquitania, which led toward the Atlantic across Toulouse and Bordeaux. In addition, it was crossed by the Aude River. Despite its decline from Roman times, Narbonne managed to hold on to a more limited importance as a trading route, particularly through the more recent centuries.
The highlights of Narbonne include:
- Saint-Just cathedral dating from 1272
- The "Palais des Archevêques" or Archbishop's Palace and its "donjon" with views over Narbonne.
- Musee Archeologique - an archaeological museum in the town centre.
- The Roman Horreum, a former grain warehouse, built underground as a cryptoporticus.
- Remains of the Via Domitia in the city centre.
- The canal, "Canal de la Robine", running through the centre of the town
- The Halles de Narbonne covered market operates every day. The busiest times are Sunday and Thursday mornings.
- The nearby limestone massif known as "La Clape" and the beach at Narbonne plage.
- Narbonne's union team, Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée
Waterways
The Canal du Midi was classed as a Unesco World Heritage site due to its importance in canal history, the beauty of the canal and the fine locks, aqueducts and canal buildings. Though discussions on a canal link between the Atlantic and Mediterranean began with Charlamagne in the 8th century, and continued through the centuries (including consultation with Leonardo da Vinci) no actual construction began until 1666. Anyone interested in the canals history may like to visit the Château de Bonrepos and park; the home of Pierre Paul Riquet, the designer of the canal. This is located in the village of Verfeil, just outside Toulouse.
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