Béziers (Occitan: Besièrs) is a city in southern France. It is a subprefecture of the Héraultdepartment in the Occitanieregion. Every August Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, which is centred on bullfighting. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event.
The town is located on a small bluff above the river Orb, about ten kilometres (six miles) from the Mediterranean coast and 75 kilometres (47 miles) southwest of Montpellier. At Béziers, the Canal du Midi passes over the river Orb by means of the Pont-canal de l’Orb, an aqueduct claimed to be the first of its kind.
Before 1963, wine was the only way to bring money into the area. Béziers city is now a part of economic plan Mission Racine.
Saint-Nazaire Cathedral: Situated in the high part of town, it occupies a picturesque site, visible from afar when approaching Béziers on the road from Narbonne. A remarkable example of middle Gothic architecture from the 14th century, the vaulted nave, 14 m (45.93 ft) wide, reaches a height of 32 m (104.99 ft). The total length is 50 m (164.04 ft). The western rose window has a diameter of 10 m (32.81 ft).
The Plateau des Poètes (1867): This vast English-style (formal) park was laid out by landscape artists, the Bulher brothers. It contains numerous statues of poets and a monumental fountain of the Titan by Injalbert. The park connects the station with the allées Paul Riquet…
The allées Paul Riquet, a major square, where a large bronze statue by David d’Angers celebrates the creator of the Canal du Midi, Pierre-Paul Riquet. The same sculptor created the bas reliefs which decorate the neo-Classical façade of the Municipal Theatre (1844) at the top of the allées. At times of the Feria, festivities are centred in the allées.
Arenas: Béziers has two arenas, one dating from the Roman era whose structures and foundations have been preserved following major works in the Saint-Jacques district, and the other built in 1905 in the style of Spanish bullrings by Fernand Castelbon de Beauxhostes. The latter is one of the largest such structures in France (seating 13,100). The arena hosts concerts and, every August, a bullfighting festival (the Féria).
The musée Saint-Jacques, installed in a former barracks, has collections showing life in the Béziers region (Biterrois).
Le Pont Vieux is a stone bridge crossing the Orb (Middle Ages).
Le Cimetière Vieux (Old Cemetery), created in the 18th century, is a true open-air museum with numerous tombs and works of art by local sculptors, including Jean Magrou and Injalbert.
