The Carpentras Canal, the longest in the Vaucluse
The arrival of the Canal enabled the Comtat Plain to diversify its crops and become, in the 19th century, a veritable ‘vegetable garden’. The canal was built in 1857 by Louis Giraud from Pernes les Fontaines. He had obtained a special tax for the modernisation of the canal over 26 000 hectares. In 1853 the Syndicate of the Canal was set up to enable the construction of this 69 km long canal with 725 kms of secondary and tertiary canals serving 31 towns.
Since, the canal has been extended and modernised, now 85 km long and serving a larger area. Particularly with pressure pipelines that allow land upstream of the canal to be supplied. For the last 50 years the water supply has been assured due to the Serre-Ponçon barrage in the Alpes.
Discover more here…
A walk along the canal
Note : the banks of the Canal are private belonging to the ASA who manage the Carpentras Canal. Aware of the beauty of the area the administrator authorises walking beside the canal. The paths are however not maintained for walking purposes, only for service vehicles and maintenance purposes.
A short 3 km walk from the center of old town Carpentras. Follow the water, first on the banks of the River Auzon then along the Carpentras Canal, the longest in the Vaucluse built in the 19th century by Louis Giraud : many constructions along the way (barrages, bridges…)
Discover the Canal by bike
• The Carpentras Canal, the agricultural and wine growing countryside of the Comtat Venaissin
• The architectural heritage of Carpentras : the synagogue, the Hôtel-Dieu, the Saint Siffrein Cathedral…
• The villages of Loriel-du-Comtat, Aubignan and Beaumes-de-Venise (famous for its sweet Muscat wine)
• The Rocalinaud Rock on the outskirts of Beaumes-de-Venise