Beziers

Continuing to Beziers the following morning, we passed under 6 bridges and negotiated 3 locks.

Upon reaching Beziers, we tied-up along the canal wall to tour the city, the birth place of Pierre-Paul Riquet. Beziers is one of the oldest cities in France, dating back to 575 BC. Stones from the Roman amphitheater were used to construct the city wall during the 3^rd century. From the 10^th to 12th century, Beziers was a center for the “Viscountship of Beziers.” The Viscounts ruled most of the coastal plain around Beziers; they also controlled the major east-west route through Languedoc, which roughly followed the old Roman Via Domitia road across southern France.

Canal Moorings at Beziers

A Beziers tourist highlight is a visit to the majestic Romanesque St. Nazaire Cathedral, which dominates the old town and is located on a rocky promontory overlooking the town, the Orb River, and the valley beyond. This imposing Catholic cathedral can be seen from a long distance and is a symbol of the city. Saint-Nazaire Cathedral is a typical ecclesiastical fortification of the 13^th-14^th century. The edifice dates from the 13^th century, having been erected on the site of an earlier building that was burned by the Cather crusaders (1209-1229), a Christian sect opposing the Catholics. The 14^th-century cathedral cloisters house interesting sculptures, and the beautiful pipe organ is impressive.

The St. Nazaire Cathedral seen from the Canal du Midi

View of the Orb River from St. Nazaire Cathedral

Riquet Street separates old town from the modern.

Modern Beziers

Modern Beziers, with statute of Pierre-Paul Riquet