Canal de la Robine

The Canal de la Robine runs through the middle of Narbonne, and it connects the city with the Canal du Midi, the great waterway that crosses southern France from the Mediterranean to Toulouse and that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Robine is not a modern creation. It follows the line of a branch of the river Aude, which once flowed through the town to the sea, and in the Middle Ages the river changed its course, leaving the old channel as a navigable waterway. Engineers later improved it as part of the network of canals around the Canal du Midi, which was built in the late seventeenth century under the direction of Pierre-Paul Riquet, and the Robine and a link called the Canal de Jonction connect Narbonne to the main canal.

Narbonne's history gives the canal its importance. The city was founded by the Romans in 118 BC as Narbo Martius, the first Roman colony in Gaul, and it grew rich as a port and a crossroads. The Via Domitia, the first Roman road in Gaul, linked Italy and Spain here, and it met the road toward Aquitaine, so Narbonne was a hub of trade between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Traces of the Roman city are still visible, including the Horreum, a series of underground galleries that were used for storage. In the Middle Ages, the city was a major port and the seat of an archbishop, whose palace and cathedral, the Cathédrale Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur, still dominate the centre. The cathedral was never completed, and only the choir, a tall and impressive Gothic structure, was built.

A walk along the canal is one of the pleasures of Narbonne. The banks are lined with plane trees, quays and old houses, with cafés and restaurants, and the Pont des Marchands, a bridge with shops built into it, stands on the site of an ancient crossing, recalling a Roman bridge that once carried the Via Domitia over the river. It is closed to vehicles, and its medieval look gives the canal an unexpectedly Italian air, reminiscent of Florence. The Hôtel de Bernis and the covered market, Les Halles, with its elegant iron and glass design, are close by, and the market is an excellent place to buy local produce.

Boat trips run along the canal in season, and the towpath can be walked or cycled toward the sea. The route passes through the lagoons and salt marshes of the Narbonne area, where flamingos can be seen.

The canal suits walkers, cyclists and anyone interested in history, and it is free to visit. Evenings are pleasant, when the lights reflect on the water.