UNESCO World Heritage · 1996
Canal du Midi
Cultural
WHS ID
770
Inscribed
1996
Category
Cultural
Canal du Midi is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural, inscribed in 1996 (WHS 770).
Criteria & Perimeter
Inscription criteria
(i)(ii)(iv)
Category
Cultural
Summary
This 360-km network of navigable waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) is one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering in modern times. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. The care that its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, took in the design and the way it blends with its surroundings turned a technical achievement into a work of art.
Monuments in the Zone
Selection of protected monuments
- Ancien prieuré de Port-l'Abbé — Etriché
- Château de la Maroutière — Saint-Fort
- Hôtel-Dieu de Baugé — Baugé
- Château de la Motte-Grollier — Durtal
- Maison de Fontevraud-l'Abbaye — Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
- Eglise Saint-Laurent de Sagonne — Sagonne
- Immeuble de Orléans — Orléans
- Château de la Roche-Jacquelin — Daumeray
- Ancien prieuré de Auzay — Auzay
- Eglise de Nalliers — Nalliers
- Cour de Justice (ancienne) dénommée aussi Le Temple — Asnières-sur-Vègre
- Château de Pordor de Avessac — Avessac
- Château du Gros Chesnay — Fillé
- Villa de la Chantrerie — Nantes
- Manoir de la Calvinière — Auverse
Appellations of the Landscape
Most-reviewed Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.