Malpas Tunnel
Tunnel du Malpas
A tunnel dug in 1681 and considered the world's first canal tunnel, through which boats pass as the canal crosses the Ensérune hills.
The Malpas Tunnel, about 173 meters long, is the key engineering work by which the Canal du Midi crosses the Ensérune hills, and it is considered the world's first navigable canal tunnel. Above it lie an earlier Roman-era drainage channel and a 19th-century railway tunnel, so three tunnels are stacked beneath the same hill. You can watch tour boats enter and exit at the tunnel mouth, or cycle past along the towpath. The tunnel is very close to the Ensérune archaeological site, and the two are often visited together.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Oppidum d'Ensérune
- Étang de Montady
- Fonserannes Locks
- Capestang
- Pont Vieux (Béziers)
- Béziers Cathedral
- Orb Aqueduct
- Halles de Béziers