Barging in France: Canal du Midi
Discover the Etang de Thau
The Étang de Thau, also referred to as the Bassin de Thau, is the largest of the saltwater lagoons that span the French coast from the Rhône River to the Spanish border.
Etang de Thau
Part 1: The Étang de Thau – An Overview
The Étang de Thau is 21km long and 8km wide, it is the second largest lake in France. Until relatively recently, the lagoons from Marseillan to the Rhône were a continuous stretch of inland waterways and early settlers in the region described them as "une petite mer intérieure et tranquille" (a small, quiet inland sea).
Linked by the Canal du Rhône à Sète to the Rhône and by the Canal du Midi to the Atlantic, the lagoon also has access to the Mediterranean at the town of Sète. To the east, between Balaruc and Sète, the borders of the lagoon are largely industrial. The south bank is formed by the coastal strip from Sète to Cap d'Agde where some points are less than half a mile wide, while the northern bank has villages dedicated to fishing and the production of shellfish.
As the Étang de Thau is open to the sea, it is well stocked with fish such as bream, croaker and seabass. Eighteen varieties of shellfish are also found in the lagoon, with the most economically important being oysters. 750 producers farm 2,750 oyster tables in the lagoon, and farm approximately 13,000 tonnes of oysters each year, providing approximately 8.5% of France's consumption.
The oysters from the lagoon are a flat variety, relatively small, and are marketed under the name "huîtres de Bouzigues" after the village where oyster production started. The water of the Étang de Thau is graded A, so shellfish can be caught and consumed within minutes. In addition to oysters, some 3000 tonnes of mussels are produced every year.
Pink flamingos at the Bagnas Nature Reserve
The Étang de Thau also provides a rich habitat for a variety of wildlife, notably birds including herons and pink flamingos.
Part 2: The Étang de Thau – Towns & Villages
Balaruc-le-Vieux is an ancient bourg located at the north-eastern tip of the Étang de Thau. Nestled within its ramparts, the village retains its narrow and winding streets and features buildings dating back to the time of Louis XIII, as well as vestiges of a medieval castle and the 14th century church of St-Maurice, built in both the Romanesque and Gothic styles.
The spa waters of Balaruc-les-Bains have been long associated with hydrotherapy. The Sanctuary of Neptune and the ancient Roman baths were excavated in the 1990s. Today, the town's economy is still based around hydrotherapy and is the premier spa in France by attendance. Its warm waters with temperatures of 34- 40°C (93-104°F) are low in sodium chloride while rich in calcium and magnesium, and are believed to bring benefits to joint problems such as rheumatism.
The village also holds many architectural and archaeological gems. The 12th-century chapel of Our Lady of the Water is built in the Romanesque style from blocks of limestone containing seashells. The remains of a religious building dedicated to the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, have been dated to the first through third centuries AD.
Séte
Sète is located on the southeastern edge of the Étang de Thau and is built around the prominent Mont St Clair. The residents of Sète, known as Sètoises, speak a French dialect, Occitan, with a strong, almost Spanish accent. The town has a network of canals running through its center, which link the lagoon with the Mediterranean. The town was built during the construction of the Canal du Midi, as a base to house the thousands of workers who were located nearby. There is a Grand Canal, alongside of which are Italianate houses in pastel colors, with wrought-iron balconies overlooking the canals and bridges. It was selected in 1666 as a trans-shipment port for the Canal du Midi.
The fishing harbor is lined with fishing boats on one side and with seafood restaurants on the other. One specialty of the town is the Tielle Sétoise, a small shortcrust pie with onions and chopped squid tentacles; another is Seiches à la Rouille – cuttlefish in a spicy garlic sauce. Sète is the largest French fishing port on the Mediterranean and the biggest commercial port in the south after Marseille. A car ferry leaves for Morocco daily.
Geographically the town is located at the foot of Mont St-Clair, which long ago was a Mediterranean island. Those who walk up Mont St-Clair are rewarded with panoramic views of the sea and the glorious landscape of the Languedoc. Sète has long been associated with a fishing and sailing culture.
Water Jousting in Séte
A particularly fascinating annual event is water jousting (La Joute Nautique in French) that dates back to the inauguration of Sète in 1666. This sport can be seen in all its flamboyance during the Festival of Saint Louis at the end of August. A match between two rowing boats, one red and one blue, are each propelled by 10 rowers and have a raised ladder with a platform (tintaine) at the stern that extends off the boat about 10 feet (3m) above the water. On the ladder sit four jousters all dressed in white and on the bow are two musicians that set the pace for the rowers by playing a tune called the "la peña" on a traditional Languedoc oboe and drum. The jouster carries a 2-foot shield (pavois) and a 9-foot (2.8m) lance with which to knock the opponent into the water. Whoever manages to stay atop the tintaine after an engagement is declared the winner, and each competitor has just one chance. When a jouster is knocked into the water, they are replaced by a new competitor.
Sète was the birthplace and home of George Brassens, France's favorite troubadour. A small museum has been built to celebrate this famous singer, just opposite the graveyard where he is buried. Many restaurants and cafés are named after his songs.
Mèze, situated on the northern edge of the Étang de Thau, has been an important port since its founding by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BC. During the Roman Empire, the town lay on the Via Domitia, the main route between Italy and Spain. The Romans brought wine and left a legacy of architecture, including two of the town’s churches, to the area.
It shares its historic role with Bouzigues as the oyster capital of the Étang de Thau. Almost a third of its inhabitants depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood. The production of shellfish, especially oysters, has been the mainstay of the Mèze economy for almost a century and the whole Bassin de Thau area has built an international reputation for the quality of its seafood. As one of several centers for the mussel and oyster industry, Mèze has an aquaculture research center called the "station de lagunage", with information, films, photographs, and displays.
Bouzigues was first inhabited by outsiders of the church who were forced to live in troglodyte caves to repent for their sins. The village then grew into an agricultural center before eventually finding its fame and fortune in the cooperage industry. In the 17th century, Bouzigues was divided between the Bishop of Agde and the de Bouzigues family.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the cultivation of oysters and mussels, distributed under the name "Bouzigues", was developed. Today, this culture remains the driving force of the economy to which tourism in the area has been linked. A museum in the harbor offers visitors an insight into the fishing industry and the mussel and oyster farms that are so much a part of the landscape here, as well as the fishing activities and the natural environment of the Étang de Thau. Closer examination of the quayside shows that all the buildings are modern, unlike the surrounding medieval town. This is due to a dramatic event in August 1944 when one of the warehouses here which was being used as a munitions factory was blown up by the retreating German army, destroying the entire neighborhood. Amazingly, although two French Resistance operatives were locked inside, they escaped before the building exploded.
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Located between Mèze and Bouzigues on the northern shore of the Étang de Thau, Loupian is an ancient town whose origins can be traced back to Roman times. South of the Via Domitia route linking Italy and Spain, recent archaeological digs have revealed the presence of an important Gallo-Roman villa dedicated to the production of wine and its export. The villa had an amphora production workshop and a port on the edge of the Ètang de Thau. Its owners would have been incredibly wealthy for their time, namely due to the amount of beautiful mosaic floors discovered in the villa.
Not far from the villa and close to the 11th century church of St-Cécile, the remains of a large Paleo-Christian church have been discovered dating from the early 5th century, complete with a hexagonal baptismal font and several related rooms. A necropolis was also found in the grounds of this church. During the Middle Ages, the village moved closer, surrounded by ramparts, it featured the castle (today the town hall) and the Romanesque chapel of St-Hippolyte.
Marseillan sits on the western-most edge of the lagoon and is a protected heritage site. There has been virtually no new building in the heart of the village since the 17th century, and many of the houses date to the 12th century. The Romans established the port, and with the Via Domitia running closeby, they also established a rest and recreation center. Many legionnaires took their discharge at Marseillan, having been granted land there. Vineyards were established on many of these allotments. The center of the village is a maze of winding streets and medieval buildings, including an ornate 13th-century, covered market and the 17th-century Church of Saint John the Baptist. Until the 18th century, a fort stood in the center of the village, flanked by watchtowers, gates and ramparts. Nearby, there is a traditional covered market hall, while the statue of Marianne in the town is said to be the oldest in France. Marseillan is also the center for the production of the well-known Noilly-Prat wine (vermouth). Nearby, Marseillan Plage is a popular seaside resort, with a long sandy beach and a pleasure port and is especially popular with campers and is a center for various nautical sports.
Let's Explore the Étang de Thau
Contact Paradise Connections to start planning your Canal du Midi barge cruise which includes the Étang de Thau.
Learn more about the Canal du Midi
- The Canal du Midi: An Overview
- The Canal du Midi: Towns & Villages
- The Canal du Midi: Best Places to Visit
- More information about the Canal du Midi
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