How to Spend One Day in Beziers, France

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Whenever I’m travelling somewhere, I can’t help but take note of places I may want to visit next time. That’s how the town of Beziers fell on my radar at least. My previous trip through the South of France took me past the town en route to incredible Carcassonne. I no longer remember what aspect of Beziers caught my eye, just that it made an impression. Jump forward a few years and I was extremely pleased that I allowed time for at least one day in Beziers, because it’s a town with a real wealth of things to see.

Part of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France, Beziers is yet another destination that showcases why keep revisiting this part of the country. Much like when visiting Narbonne, the diverse range of attractions in Beziers make it an easy place to enjoy and recommend. Here’s what you have to look forward to if you make time to visit Beziers next time you’re in the neighbourhood.

Allées Paul Riquet

Carving right down the middle of Beziers is the tree-lined Allées Paul Riquet, a great place to start a Beziers visit. This main boulevard in the city centre is essentially a wide pedestrian street leading from the city’s cute Ferris wheel up past its stately theatre.

Right along it you’ll see the kind of spectacular architecture that’s rife in the South of France. It’s really a nice place to go for a walk, especially when it hosts the local market. Roughly halfway along the avenue stands a statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet, who the street is named after. Riquet was the civil engineer born in Beziers responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi. That kind of makes him a big deal.

Beziers Old Town

Having walked along the wide-open Allées Paul Riquet, it’s now time to delve into the narrow streets of the Beziers Old Town. The historical centre is the part of town to the west of this avenue and features a mess of streets and alleys that’s undeniably medieval. Look at a map of Beziers and you’ll see the rest of the city with an orderly layout, but not here.

To get the most out of the Old Town, pick a pedestrian lane and go for a wander. Narrow pedestrian streets such as Rue du 4 Septembre are where Beziers is at its most charming, so allow a little time to explore them. Meandering around the Old Town you’ll see an interesting mix of architecture thanks to landmarks like the Mairie de Béziers and Les Halles de Béziers.

Saint Nazaire Cathedral

Eventually the twists and turns of the Old Town will bring you to one of two places. Either you’ll find your way to the hilltop Saint Nazaire Cathedral or to the Église Saint-Jacques which enjoys a wonderful view of said cathedral. Ultimately, the Saint Nazaire Cathedral is the star of the show and one of the important landmarks in Beziers.

That’s because the Bishopric of Beziers made this cathedral their seat for a thousand years, before losing it to Montpellier in 1801. Well, not necessarily this cathedral, as the current building is only the most recent iteration of Beziers Cathedral. Before this 15th century construction, the previous building was badly damaged during the Albigensian Crusade in 1209.

The current cathedral combines elements of its older Romanesque design with the grander Gothic flourishes given during its renovation. But what’s really so striking about the Beziers Cathedral is its sheer size as it dwarfs everything about it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really able to admire the cathedral much up close. I arrived there as a funeral began, meaning I couldn’t see inside and they were restoring its front façade as well. Great timing, right?

Beziers Street Art

As you go about exploring the Old Town of Beziers chances are you’ll spot at least one large mural on the side of a building. That’s because there’s actually a lot of street art around the town centre. Rather than a random mix of pieces across town, the street art in Bezier all has a consistent style and theme.

The murals all have a historical bent to them, often portraying everyday moments on painted balconies. But there are also old-fashioned storefronts and historical scenes shown, which means every piece deserves a look. It’s a great incentive to head down each street and see what other treasures Beziers has hidden.

Plateau des Poètes

Just down from Allées Paul Riquet and its Ferris wheel lies the gorgeous park of Plateau des Poètes. Sitting on a quite a steep hillside, this park builds up from the train station in various stages. At the very bottom is a war memorial, while further up you have ponds, statues, a lake and small waterfall. All of this is surrounded by lots of greenery and locals enjoying the serenity on its many park benches. A great place to have lunch if you just want to sit in the sunshine.

Pont Vieux

Now it’s time to venture down to the waterfront along the Orb River and see the charming Pont Vieux. There are several city bridges across the river in Beziers but none have as much character as this old stone bridge. This medieval bridge dates from the 13th century and is an essential component of Beziers’ iconic view. It especially helps that the river was so still that you could get a perfect reflection of the bridge in it.

Fonserannes Locks

Although it may seem like a bit of a trek from town, don’t even dream of missing the Fonserannes Locks. This is easily the most well-known landmark in Beziers, even if I was oblivious of it before going. And while you may be thinking that you’ve seen canal locks before, I guarantee you haven’t seen them like this.

What makes the Fonserannes Locks special is that it’s a staircase of locks, with eight lock chambers staggered one after the other. This impressive engineering system allowed boats travelling along the Canal du Midi to securely drop 21.5 metres down to the water level of the River Orb. They could then cross the river, re-join the canal and continue east.

Anyone who finds the whole idea of canals and their mechanics interesting is bound to find this site fascinating. Visiting the Fonserannes Locks you get to see firsthand how they work and look down at the hefty gates on each lock.

The Fonserannes Locks are still used today for canal boats, although there has been a small change over the years. The construction of the Orb Aqueduct below allowed boats to much more easily cross the river and stick with the canal. To do this, they now only use seven of the eight chambers, exiting the second last chamber and heading to the aqueduct.

Orb Aqueduct

Follow the Canal du Midi down from the Fonserannes Locks and you’ll arrive at another feat of engineering in Beziers. To allow the canal to cross the River Orb the Orb Aqueduct was constructed in 1858. Aqueducts like this one or the Pont de Gard fascinate me as they show just how clever people can be.

That this aqueduct is designed to carry not just water but boats as well is incredible. I’m disappointed I didn’t get to see any boats travel along it but that is an understandable downside to visiting in the shoulder season. A nice consolation prize was having the opportunity to cross the aqueduct on foot and admire it up close. That it gives you an alternative route to return to town from the Fonserannes Locks is an added bonus.

Port Neuf

One last stop worth passing by after crossing the aqueduct is the Port Neuf. This is the local marina of Beziers where canal boats are moored as they travel along the Canal du Midi. Even though I’ve seen quite a few canal marinas in the South of France, I never seem to tire of them. Port Neuf seemed much quieter than others I visited, but its collection of barges and house boats was still worth a look.

Travel Tips for Visiting Beziers

Having shown you what sights Bezier has to offer, here is some practical information on how to plan your visit. For starters, Beziers is an exceptionally easy place to reach with public transport. You can easily take the train from any of Narbonne, Toulouse or Montpellier to get there. Plus there’s the option of travelling with Flixbus too. This means Bezier is super easy to add to a trip through the south.

The other part of spending one day in Bezier over a day trip is deciding on accommodation. Now, while there are hotels and other accommodation available in Bezier, I found Airbnb to be yet again the most affordable option. I rarely stay in hotels when I travel in France and have had some great Airbnb stays there.

Have you heard of or ever wanted to visit Beziers France? Are you surprised by how much there is to see and do there? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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