HIGHLIGHTS: The main highlight on the Canal du Midi is the 17th Century marvel of the Canal du Midi itself! With its 62 locks and 45,000 trees linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, the cruise aboard the "Roi Soleil" traverses the remote, unspoiled countryside of the pristine Languedoc region, now world famous for its sophisticated wines. And there are many more highlights ...

Being on charter means that you can tailor the excursions according to your party's special interests. For example:

• Historic Tours & Architecture
  Follow the path of civilization – the prehistoric sites and caves, the Greco-Iberian sites such as the Oppidum of Enserune, the Galls and their Dolmens, the Roman presence in Narbonne (their first colony outside of Rome), the medieval architecture with its hill villages, as well as bastides and magnificent abbeys such as Fontfroide and Lagrasse. The Cathare Castles, witness to religious wars and the expansion of the King of France, with Carcassonne as the proudest medieval city. The wine and its domains, which, from the 17th Century, gave the Languedoc its recognition as a region.


• Art, History and Antiques
  Narbonne offers a concentration of very fine art treasures -- from its Cathedral, to the archaeological museum with some of the finest Roman wall paintings, to the art museum with its 17th and 18th century masters and its Oriental collection of the 19th Century. We can round up our exploration by visiting an antique dealer whose friendliness is on par with his impeccable taste.


• Gourmet Traveler
  Olives – Wine – Muscat. This is a hedonistic trilogy, from the olives to be sampled at the Olibo Olive Oil Mill (one of the most prized in France) to the wines of Languedoc, now a force on the international scene. Languedoc, since Roman times, has intertwined its history with wine making - the landscape of the entire region is modeled by it. We will visit top vineyards in the company of their owners taking in the Corbieres, the Minervois and the St Chinian from grand domains to no less deserving smaller wine makers. This will be completed with the Muscat Petit Grain of St Jean de Minervois, the prime Muscat in France, with Beaumes de Venise from Provence.


• Cooking Demonstrations
  Our gourmet Provencal chef will enjoy demonstrating to you some of his specialties in the open plan kitchen on "Roi Soleil" – all to be taken in with a trusty glass of wine in hand.


• Natural Sites and Village Life
  The geography is very rich and extremely diverse with spectacular sites varying from the Mediterranean to the inland mountains with deep gorges as in Minerve, which is dotted with vineyards or hidden valleys such as St Chinian and Roquebrun. The village life follows the rhythm of the grapevines, harvest and the traditional, open-air markets.


• Activities For Families
  If walking along the Canal or bicycling on our top of the range hybrid bikes is not enough, there are scores of activities to choose from: Swimming on the Mediterranean beaches or river gorges, scenic flights over medieval castles, country horse riding or rounding up the bulls on horseback, hiking on nature trails, white water rafting, four-wheel driving on Paris Dakhar rally training tracks, eagle watching show in Carcassonne, visiting spectacular caves, prehistoric museums, windsurfing, African wildlife reserve …

Note: this is a sample of available regional highlights and excursions may be tailored to the requests of the guests. Cruise direction is subject to change.

Highlights: Avignon, city of the Popes, Roman ruins and the Pont du Gard, Chateauneuf du Pape wines, Duchy of Uzs, Arles, St Remy de Provence, Les Beaux de Provence, hillside villages, Petit Rhone River, Aigues Mortes, and the Camargue, Sete Port Lagoon of Thau, Agde, and Beziers.

Provence, throughout the Roman Empire has been praised as the fairest of all provinces. It is a province so rich and varied, truly the land for hedonists.

Roi Soleil offers you a unique vantage point as we sail down the ancient border between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne, the river Rhone. When we step ashore to discover the land within, the richness of culture, history, architecture, and arts and crafts begins to reveal itself. Roi Soleil will then follow a tributary of the Rhone, to enter into the mysterious region of the Camargue.

Chartering the Roi Soleil means that you can tailor the excursions according to your party's special interests.

For example:

• Historic Tours & Architecture
  In Avignon you may see the rich architectural influence of each of the eight Popes who resided in the Palais des Papes, from medieval to the Renaissance time. The Palais des Papes presents a magnificent image, as we sail by the Pont de Buzet (famous for the song, 'Sur le Pont d'Avignon') in the pastel colors of the Provencal sunset. Another architectural beauty to see is the aqueduct of the Pont du Gard, a prodigy of the Romans and one of the wonders of the ancient world. Then there is the Roman arena, the antique theatre, some impressive medieval architecture in Arles, once capital of the whole of the Gauls plus the sites of picturesque St Remy de Provence. As an option, you can even participate in a dig on a private site with a top local archeologist. Take the magnificent setting of the little town of Uzs, which was the prime Duchy of France, where in the 17th Century, the Duke and the Bishop of Uzs competed in erecting architectural monuments. A breathtaking site from the panorama of the fortified village of les Beaux de Provence, also renowned for its ancient cobbled streets and picturesque charm and whose history develops around the rebel barons who defied the King!
  
  You can walk along the fortified walls that completely surround the little medieval city of Aigues-Mortes, built on in the marshes as King St Louis sought a safe harbor to embark his crusaders on the route to Jerusalem.
  
  Pezenas is a jewel for lovers of art and literature, where Molire and his theatre troop found refuge in the 17th Century, under the protection of the Governor and Prince de Conti.


• Local Culture, Arts, Crafts and Antiques
  The whole of Provence has always been particularly rich in arts and crafts as you may see through the rich Arletan Museum of Arles, due to its prime position on the trade routes. Since the 19th Century, Provence artists were most successful in preserving local identity and tradition, in defiance of the inroads of industrialization.
  
  For any occasion, the Arlesian woman will don their typical costumes with hand-made laces that have been passed preciously down from mother to daughter throughout the generations, and the Guardians will dance and defy each other in games in the bull rings, inspired by their medieval troubadour ancestors. In Arles you can also personally experience the sites depicted in the paintings of Van Gogh.
  
  Throughout the year there are colorful festivals in all the cities and villages, where the locals proudly present their talents, which have been passed on to them from generation to generation. We can introduce you to local artisans, fabricating by hand, basket weaving, figurines, chairs and furniture, Provencal fabrics and boutis, paintings and pottery, some of whose work is now sought after internationally. The Camargue region is particularly rich in guardian feasts in honor of the bulls and their prized white horses. In Sete you could witness the fishermen jostling in teams, a spectacle on water. You can be as involved as sponsoring the daredevil rasteurs, fighting the bulls in the village arena or simply taking in the local game of petanque from a terrace cafe in the typical village of Fontveille.
  
  For the connoisseurs interested in antiques there is a haven of antique treasures in Isle sur la Sorgue, where no less than 160 antique dealers are presenting their finds.


• Natural sites and The Camargue
  Beautiful panoramas unfold amongst the hill villages and across the cool waters and gorges as may be seen in Fontaines de Vaucluse. From the tranquil river of the Petit Rhone, we enter into the secret of the Camargue where fresh and salt sea water make up the marshlands, the refuge of hundreds of migratory birds. There we will also see the guardians mounted on their white horses tending their prize bulls for the bull rings.


• Gourmet Traveler
  The Provencal market is a total feast to the senses where you can delve into the stalls of local artifacts, and amongst the bouquets of lavender and thyme there are branches of artichokes, pyramids of olives in hues of pastel greens to rich black, and hand pressed A.O.C. olive oils, freshly farmed goats cheeses, Tapenades and olive breads. For the sweet tooth, there are delicious almond sweets, Calissons from Aix-en-Provence, and the sumptuous miniature preserved fruits from Apt.
  
  And then there are the vineyards!! The Rhone valley with its varied terroir and private tastings, beckons the senses with Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Muscat of Beaumes de Venise, and for the new and rewarding discovery - the Languedoc region is making its mark on the sommeliers around the world.


• Cooking Demonstrations
  Did we mention that our Chef is an authentic Provencal food artist, eager to share his secrets in the open plan galley of Roi Soleil for cooking demonstrations? Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the show.


• Activities for Families
  Apart from simply taking a walk through the waterside villages or bicycling along banks of the canal, there are scores of activities to choose from: ballooning, horse riding, or 4-wheel driving in Camargue, attending the bull races or village processions, bird spotting an eagle in the Camargue reserve, visiting the Castle of Beaucaire, white water rafting or gentle canoeing. There are caves to explore ... tell us your fantasy and we will follow your dream.

Note: This is a sample of available regional highlights and excursions may be tailored to the requests of the guests. Please note, the barge owner reserves the right to change the cruise direction depending on weather or lock conditions.