Some 149 miles (241 km) long, the Canal du Midi is one of the oldest canals in Europe still in operation today. Its route starts in Toulouse in the Haute-Garonne department and ends at the Étang de Thau in Marseillan, in the Hérault department. The canal is, nevertheless, connected to the port of Sète, where it joins the Mediterranean Sea. For this reason, it is generally considered that the canal ends its journey in the city of Sète.