The Canal du Midi

The Canal du Midi, punctuated by 328 ‘state of the art’ engineering works (bridges, dams, locks, aquaducts and tunnels), runs for 240 kilometres from Toulouse to Sete to reach the Mediterranean.
Built from 1666 onwards, the “Canal of the two seas” visits Beziers, home town of Pierre Paul Riquet, its inventor; by means of 9 successive locks, it overcomes an altitude difference of 20 metres. Further on, it crosses over the Orb River thanks to a canal bridge and runs through Agde via a unique round lock which regulates the access of 3 waterways.

The Canal du Midi, a fantastic project which needed 15 years of work and more than 12,000 workers, is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Its original commercial use has now been replaced by leisure activities: you can go on a cruise, rent a boat or just take a walk or ride a bike along the towpaths. The Canal du Midi, a sinuous and enchanting path of memory, should be followed.  Intensely.

The hugest sandy beaches of the region

Beziers-Cap d’Agde comprises 7 well-equipped seaside resorts, 40 kilometres of natural beaches of fine sand and 17 river and sea ports.

The Cap d’Agde, a haven of relaxation and leisure, is the coastal flagship resort. It is well-known all over Europe and each year attracts thousands of holidaymakers who can enjoy the sea, water activities, golf and a lively night-life. Other destinations such as Vias-plage, Portiragnes-plage, Valras-plage, Serignan-Plage, Vendres or Marseillan-plage also attract lots of tourists in an authentic and family environment.

The accommodation options offer a wide range of possibilities: rental, outdoor or luxurious hotels… There is something for everyone.

With its 300 sunshine days a year, the Mediterranean is a delightful place to go in all seasons.

Wine and gastronomy

At the heart of the Beziers wine-growing country, capital of the Languedoc wines, numerous chateaux, estates and cellars welcome you to taste the seven Beziers AOCs (Languedoc, Faugeres, Saint-Chinian, Minervois, la Liviniere, Pezenas, Clairette) and the high quality local wines (Thongue, Libron, Terrasses de Beziers, Caux and Haute Vallee de l’Orb), not to mention the well-known aperitif wine, Noilly Prat, in Marseillan.

These wines can all accompany the shellfish of the Etang de Thau, the Mediterranean fish, the charcuterie of the Haut Languedoc region, or the chestnuts, cherries, olives, goat or sheep cheese, round which the local cuisine is based.

Don’t hesitate to eat in one of the 1,000 restaurants offering delicious Mediterranean food or mix with the locals during a local market on the village square.

The Haut Languedoc Regional Natural Park

The park, just 40 minutes away from Beziers Cap d’Agde airport, is the perfect place for hikers and outdoor sportsmen, offering mountain biking, rambling, climbing, canoeing.

There is a variety of amazing sights to see:  the Caroux Mountains, the Espinouse heights and the plateau of the Lakes offer wonderful landscapes of pine forest, recalling Canada, and an unobstructed view over the Languedoc plains.

At the highest point (1200 metres), you will often meet mountain sheep.
Lakes and torrents are a joy for lovers of bathing and river fishing;  statues, menhirs, caves and museums such as in Saint-Pons delight speleologists and those interested in prehistoric history.
There is a wide choice of accommodation (gites, B&Bs, camp sites) and of restaurants which serve local dishes.

Cities full of art and history, festivities and traditions

The region is full of traces of the past and you can’t move without finding here a dolmen, there a clachan  - those dry stone huts where shepherds sheltered -  an oppidum in Enserune created by the Romans, the abbeys of Cassan and Fontcaude built by the monks.
Agde, a port built by the Greeks, the “black pearl of the Mediterranean”, contains more than 2,500 years of history within its ramparts.

Pezenas, the former capital of the Languedoc, Moliere’s favourite place to stay and put on his renowned plays, has inherited well-preserved private mansions from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Like the town of Minerve, the cathedral of Saint-Nazaire and the church of the Madeleine in Beziers bear the mark of the Cathar tragedy.

The region, all the same, does not live in the past.  Many places host contemporary artists, such as the Museum of modern art in Serignan, or theatre shows and today’s music at Sortie Ouest or at Zinga Zanga.  During the summer, festival takes over with the Feria of Beziers.