The 6 things to do in Béziers

Visit Béziers: what are the best things to do and see in this beautiful city of Hérault?

With 75,999 inhabitants, Béziers is one of the two sub-prefectures of the Hérault and the second largest city in the department after Montpellier. What to do in Béziers? First, discover its history: it would have been founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC, which would make it the oldest French commune, founded before Marseille. Located on a promontory overlooking the Orb and the Canal du Midi, Béziers is at the foot of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park, the last foothill of the Massif Central. Built only 12 kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea and 50 kilometres from the Haut-Languedoc Mountains – the Caroux Mountains (1,090 metres above sea level), the Espeouse (1,124 metres) and Lacaune (1,267 metres) – and 70 kilometres from Montpellier, more than half of the Beziers Territory is made up of green spaces, protected natural areas and vineyards. The tartar coast is full of dunes cords rich in wetlands where many species of birds live.

Coming to visit Béziers, you will not miss things to do, between feria, rugby, urban walks, hiking and swimming at the beach. Here's our top 6 things to do in Beziers.

1. The city centre of Béziers

The city centre, on the east bank of the Orb, is surrounded by religious buildings and historical monuments, like the Roman arenas, the Pont-Vieux – built in the 12th century –, the Canal du Midi, the Chapel of the Penitents or the Cathedral of Saint-Nazaire. In Béziers, as often, influences intersect and the old man blends with the new, by successive legacy of the past. Thus the city has a very rich historical and cultural heritage. Far from having an Ecusson as large as in Montpellier, the historic centre is not less composed of narrow, enclosed alleys, in which one goes to the Allée Paul Riquet, a pedestrian artery that is not to mention the Ramblas of Spain. Enjoy it for a good country wine because here, the vineyard is sacred!

2. The locks of Fonseranes

Fonseranes locks are a set of eight locks that are part of an incredible technical prowess of the 17th century: the Canal du Midi. It is a scale of locks with eight oval-shaped basins, with 9 doors, allowing to cross a denial of 21,50 meters over a length of 312 meters. The technique put in place and the ingenuity of the site still surprise visitors today, more than 300 years after their construction under the aegis of a native of Béziers, Pierre-Paul Riquet. This is the third most visited tourist site in the former Languedoc-Roussillon region, after the Pont du Gard and the Cité de Carcassonne.

3. Visit the Ensérune website and museum

The Ensérune site, located in Nissan-lez-Ensérune in the south-west of Béziers, retraces the history of Gaul: the archaeological excavations excavated the remains of a Gaul village founded in the 6th century before our era, which would have been occupied permanently until the 1st century AD. It would be one of the most important Gaulish vestiges of the Midi Mediterranean. Located on a promontory overlooking the Narbonnaise plain, the site is an oppidum that enjoyed dynamic trade between – 300 and – 500, then populated by the Greeks. Around – 218, the Gauls occupied the city and prospered until the 1st century while the Romans founded Narbonne in – 118. You will discover the silos, pits dug into the soil, which are assumed to be used to store food or water.

4. The arenas (modern) of Béziers

If you like Spanish corrida and feria, it’s a must-see place to visit Béziers. Is that true, what to do in Béziers if it is to miss this major part of the occitane culture? Built in 1897 by calving the Spanish arenas, the arenas called "Arènes du Plateau de Valras" made Béziers the first taurine town in France. This art and enthusiasm for tauromachie have even earned a time in the city the nickname of "French Seville". In order to participate, it is necessary to come around half the month of August but many cultural events including concerts all year round.

5. Saint-Nazaire Cathedral

We can't miss it, it's visible almost everywhere from the road arriving at Beziers. Built at the site of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Augustus and his wife Livia between the 13th and 15th centuries, this Gothic-style building was erected on a rocky promontory, it replaced a Romanesque church, completely destroyed by a fire during the Berziers bag in 1209 (during the Albigeois Crusade). Classified as a "historical monument" since 1840, the cathedral dominates the old medieval town and the plain of Orb.

6. Walking on or along the Canal du Midi

A true work of art and technical prowess that revolutionized the transport of goods to the 17th and 18th centuries, the Canal du Midi is the work of Pierre-Paul Riquet (1609-1680) who, under the reign of Louis XIV, allowed to connect the Garonne to Toulouse to the pond of Thau to Marseillan (34), thus creating 241 kilometers of rivers.

The construction of the canal, which began in 1666, allowed France to deprive Spain – whose conflict against France had just ended – of some of its resources by avoiding passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to transport the goods to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea. You can hike on foot or by bike along the banks, or rent a boat to navigate the waters of the canal, from Béziers to Marseillan or from Béziers to Toulouse: to discover the region peacefully!

How to get to Beziers?

Coming to Béziers is very simple, the city is very well served by train, plane, bus and motorway network. The airport of Béziers-Cap d’Agde is located about 15 minutes from the city. When you arrive from the airport, there are shuttles or taxis that can take you to the city center. To find cheap flights to Béziers, you can search our partner's website Skyscanner . You can also go to Beziers by train, the station is located in the city center.

Where to sleep in Béziers?

To visit Béziers, you can stay directly in the city center or in the vicinity of the city: you will find all our advice on the best areas where to stay in Béziers on our dedicated article . From the apartment to the hotel, to a lodging (outside the center), you will find in Béziers several types of feet to ground for your stopover. On the side of the hotel offer, think to take a look at the site of this Compare hotels which lists the best offers of the moment.