The Canal du Midi in south-west France remains closed three weeks later than scheduled after refilling operations following winter maintenance work were slowed down because of drought.

Canal du Midi at Le Someil, a 17th-century port with an 18th-century stone bridge. Credit: Alamy. Its hundreds of features – aqueducts, feeders, locks, staircase locks, siphons, spillways ...

The Canal du Midi - a UNESCO World Heritage site that runs from Toulouse to Sète in southern France - will close early this year due to drought.

The tourist site canal-du-midi.com says: "By bike is a great way to experience this exceptional waterway. Through the villages steeped in history and past iconic engineering structures, a truly ...