The Canal du Midi links the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through various streams and the waterway of the Garonne, connecting the towns of Bordeaux, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Béziers and Sète. It was built on a project of Pierre-Paul Riquet in order to transport wheat between 1666 and 1681, during the reign of Louis XIV. The water that feeds the channel comes from the Montagne Noire through a system of pipes and reservoirs. After the railway was built, the channel ceased to be the main means of transportation, but it is still used by tourists. In 1996 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.