![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Feature-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Travelling around France, people will often ask me where in the country I\u2019m living. When I reply: \u201cB\u00e9ziers in the South of France\u201d, the response I usually get is something along the lines of: \u201cQuel dommage!\u201d<\/em> or, \u201cyou poor thing\u201d. Bigger cities often look down on B\u00e9ziers, described as run-down or even dangerous.<\/strong><\/p>\n B\u00e9ziers is one of France\u2019s oldest cities, and admittedly, some parts could use a face-lift, but you only have to look up to discover elaborate and ornate buildings from La Belle \u00c9poque<\/em>. Slowly but surely, these historic buildings are being renovated. In the two years that I\u2019ve lived in B\u00e9ziers I have seen this city transform into a vibrant place full of culture, passion, pride and history.<\/p>\n So ignore all the negative comments, and trust me when I say that B\u00e9ziers is definitely worth visiting. Here are seven reasons why.<\/p>\n I\u2019d suggest parking in the centre-ville<\/em> and making your way up to the Cathedral through the old town filled with narrow alleyways and boutique shops.<\/p>\n B\u00e9ziers<\/a> is situated on the famous Canal du Midi \u2013 one of the greatest construction works of the 17th<\/sup> century. The canal was conceived by the city’s\u00a0very own Pierre-Paul Riquet, joining the Mediterranean and the Atlantic by linking several sections of navigable waterways.<\/p>\n You can access many parts of the canal in B\u00e9ziers and surrounding areas. However the main attraction in B\u00e9ziers is \u2018les neuf \u00e9cluses<\/em>\u2019 or the\u00a0Fonserannes Locks. Consisting of a staircase with eight lock chambers and nine gates, it is a spectacular site to see the boats being raised a height of 21.5m in a 300m long chamber. You could spend hours watching each gate being opened one by one. Better yet, take a boat tour along the canal to experience the locks on the water.<\/p>\n It wouldn\u2019t be a visit to B\u00e9ziers without a stroll down Les All\u00e9es Paul-Riquet in the centre-ville<\/em>. Named after the aforementioned Pierre-Paul Riquet, the tree-lined street is situated right in the centre of town surrounded by shops and restaurants. Nearly every day of the week there are markets<\/a> held in Les All\u00e9es selling fruits and vegetables, antiques, and flowers.<\/p>\n At one end of Les all\u00e9es you\u2019ll find the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Municipal, and at the other a picturesque park, Le plateau des po\u00e8tes.\u00a0This hidden gem in the centre of town boasts a dazzling array of flowers, ponds and bird-life. It\u2019s perfect for an afternoon walk with the kids, feeding the birds, or reading a book.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a good restaurant in B\u00e9ziers, you\u2019ll be spoiled for choice. The city is home to some fabulous, renowned restaurants including: Michelin-starred restaurant \u2018Octopus<\/a>\u2019, \u2018La Maison de Petit Pierre<\/a>\u2019 owned by Pierre Aug\u00e9\u2019s (winner of French Top Chef), and \u2018Le Chameau Ivre\u2019, a great wine bar and restaurant whose cellarman, Philippe Catusse, recently won meilleur caviste 2016<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n There are also many affordable bistros and caf\u00e9s located along Les All\u00e9es Paul-Riquet and in the centre-ville<\/em>. Look out for the daily menus out the front of restaurants for two to three-course meals for as little as 15 euros.<\/p>\n One of the best things about B\u00e9ziers is its location; close to big cities such as Montpellier, Toulouse and Barcelona, it is also surrounded by beautiful countryside<\/a> and beaches. It has been undisputedly named \u2018capital of the Languedoc wine producing region\u2019,\u00a0and as the title suggests, B\u00e9ziers is surrounded by vineyards! So on your visit to B\u00e9ziers why not take a drive to Faug\u00e8res or Saint-Chinian to taste some good quality wines.<\/p>\n Once you have your bottle of wine in hand, head to one of the nearby plages<\/a><\/em> for a picnic.<\/p>\n Discover one of the most important archaeological sites in France; the\u00a0Oppidum\u00a0d’Ens\u00e9rune<\/a> is a significant Gallic settlement of the Oppida civilisation. From its vantage point atop a hill, you will find a truly amazing view of fields radiating out of a central point in the form of a sun. The museum holds a rich collection of ceramics, weapons, and furniture from this pre-historic civilisation.<\/p>\n Running just under the hillside of the Oppidum\u00a0d’Ens\u00e9rune is the Canal du Midi passing through the Malpas Tunnel<\/a>. \u00a0There is a story behind this tunnel. There was great disappointment when the building of Paul Riquet\u2019s Canal du Midi reached the hill d’Ens\u00e9rune in 1679. A few meters deep, diggers realised they were cutting into brittle sandstone and Prime Minister Colbert halted the operation.<\/p>\n Despite the risk of collapse, Riquet was determined for the canal to pass through the hill \u00a0and his team continued digging through the hill in secret. After just eight days, the tunnel was completed with a concrete ceiling. This 165m long tunnel still stands today and prevented another lock from needing to be built.<\/p>\n So, I commend B\u00e9ziers to you as a city of natural beauty, great food, and historic sites. I hope to see you here soon!<\/p>\n Have you ever visited B\u00e9ziers or the surrounding regions? What is your favourite thing about the South of France?<\/strong> Let us know in the comments box below.<\/p>\n 7 reasons to visit B\u00e9ziers: one of France\u2019s oldest cities full of culture, passion and pride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11277,"featured_media":82143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[1107,1081],"tags":[460,4339,172,1558,4340,191,2686,4341,196,3070,4342,210,3518,4343,213,3610,4344,220,4328,4345,236,4329,4346,237,4330,4347,240,4331,4348,281,4333,4349,312,4334,4350,384,4335,4351,422,4336,4352,436,4337,4353,438,4338,4354],"class_list":["post-81298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-city-guides","category-escapades","tag-vie-francaise-2","tag-theatre-municipal","tag-culture","tag-countryside","tag-octopus","tag-escapades-2","tag-mediterranean","tag-la-maison-de-petit-pierre","tag-expat-life","tag-montpellier","tag-pierre-auge","tag-food","tag-barcelona","tag-french-top-chef","tag-france","tag-beziers","tag-le-chameau-ivre","tag-french","tag-la-belle-epoque","tag-philippe-catusse","tag-french-guide","tag-cathedrale-saint-nazaire","tag-meilleur-caviste-2016","tag-french-history","tag-13th-century","tag-beaches","tag-french-life","tag-canal-du-midi","tag-capital-of-the-languedoc-wine-producing-region","tag-in-english","tag-pierre-paul-riquet","tag-faugeres","tag-learning","tag-atlantic","tag-saint-chinian","tag-places-to-go","tag-les-neuf-ecluses","tag-oppidum-denserune","tag-south-of-france","tag-fonserannes-locks","tag-oppida-civilisation","tag-things-to-do","tag-les-allees-paul-riquet","tag-malpas-tunnel","tag-toulouse","tag-le-plateau-des-poetes","tag-prime-minister-colbert"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11277"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n1. Cath\u00e9drale Saint-Nazaire<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Cathedral-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_-e1472480865645.jpg\")
This grandiose cathedral dating back to the 13th<\/sup> century is one of the best sites in the city. The interior is impressive with its large organ, ornate alter, numerous artworks and a rose window. The cathedral occupies the highest part of town providing magnificent views over the surrounding vineyards. If you have the guts and the stamina, you can even climb the spiral staircase to the highest bell tower to see spectacular views of the entire city.<\/p>\n2. The Canal du Midi<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Locks-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_-e1474443248426.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Les All\u00e9es Paul-Riquet & Le plateau des po\u00e8tes<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Park2-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_.jpg\")
4.The food scene in\u00a0B\u00e9ziers<\/span><\/h3>\n
5. Beaches and vineyards<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/19029451141_7ca114de87_z.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. The Oppidum\u00a0d’Ens\u00e9rune<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Oppidum-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_.jpg\")
7. The Malpas Tunnel<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"MyFrenchLife\u2122](\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/MyFrenchLife\u2122-\u2013-Simone-Allen-\u2013-Malpas-Beziers-MyFrenchLife.org_.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n
\nImage credits:
\nFeature image ‘Beziers Cathedral of Saint Nazaire’, esartee via Flickr<\/a>
\n1, 2, 4 & 6 \u00a9 Simone Allen
\n3. ‘Fonseranes locks’, Ad Meskens via Wikimedia<\/a>
\n5. ‘To the beach’, Martin Frey via Flickr<\/a>
\n7. ‘Colombiers Canal’, Tramrune via Wikimedia<\/a><\/address>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"