Castelsarrasin harbour master's office car park

The crazy dream of connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea by canal dates back to the dawn of time and became a reality in 1856. Castelsarrasin has a basin, which came into service in 1846. Unfortunately, within a few decades, competition from the railway ruined the canal's economic potential for more than a century. The development of river tourism in the 1980s and 1990s breathed new life into the canal, forcing the public authorities to invest in the rehabilitation and enhancement of the waterways. These efforts culminated in the Canal du Midi being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, with all the benefits that this brought in terms of image. Castelsarrasin, aware of the economic and tourist potential of this section of the canal, followed suit and built a marina in 1998, complete with a harbour master's office.

The Eiffel Footbridge, an elegant metal structure built by Maison Eiffel in 1888–1889, has been facilitating crossings at the station for over a century. Its history, marked by ten years of development and several project changes, illustrates the administrative and technical challenges of the time. The project emerged on 29 December 1878 (plan by Justin Langlade). A treaty was signed on 13 February 1881 with the canal administration. In 1882, the Municipal Council opted for a pedestrian footbridge (Rengade project). It was abandoned in 1884 in favour of the project by architect Besse. Despite plans being submitted in 1886, ministerial authorisations and a period of inactivity on the canal delayed the work until 1888. On 21 August 1888, an agreement was signed between the municipality and Maison Eiffel in accordance with Besse's plans, for a budget of 10,000 francs. The delivery date was set for October 1888. Following the modernisation of the Jacques-Yves Cousteau marina, the municipality carried out renovation work on the footbridge that crosses the canal at the station, to improve the appearance and safety of the structure.

This lock is one of 53 locks on the Canal Latéral à la Garonne (also known as the Canal de Garonne), which connects Toulouse to Castets-en-Dorthe and, together with the Canal du Midi, forms the famous Canal des Deux Mers. It is numbered 17 in the upstream to downstream direction (from Toulouse to Bordeaux). Like most of the canal's locks, it is Freycinet-gauge (standard dimensions: approximately 40 m long and 6 m wide), automated (activated by a pole across the channel), and has no permanent lock keeper.

The parish church of Saint-Martin-de-Belcassé, located on the outskirts of the town of Castelsarrasin (Tarn-et-Garonne), is a modest building steeped in history. Its first mention dates back to the 7th century, in a donation made to the Abbey of Moissac (an uncertain reference, noted with reservation in heritage sources). Ruined during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, it was rebuilt in the fourth quarter of the 16th century or in the first half of the 17th century. The church then underwent major alterations around 1837. In the 19th century, after 1836 (date of the old land registry), a right side chapel was added. Around 1898, the bell tower was rebuilt (dated by historical works), and the stained glass windows were created and signed by master glassmaker Henri Feur. These details are taken from the heritage inventory notice (Mérimée database, reference IA00039896).