Built in 1827, Les Allées Paul Riquet were constructed by filling in the moats of the old city walls, which had surrounded Béziers until the 17th century. Since then, they have remained the heart of local life, a perfect place for a leisurely stroll—especially on Friday mornings when the vibrant flower market takes over the boulevard.
At the northern tip, you’ll find the Municipal Theater. At the southern tip, the entrance to the Plateau des Poètes, a stunning 5-hectare English-style garden. In the center, the statue of Paul Riquet, sculpted in 1838 by David d’Angers, honors the creator of the Canal du Midi.
The Allées also mark the boundary between the old city—with its ancient, medieval, and classical heritage—and the “new city”, which expanded in the 19th century during the region’s wine boom.
The Fonseranes Locks & The Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. Just like the 9 locks of Fonseranes in Béziers, a major engineering structure on the Canal du Midi, also classified as a Historic Monument in 1996. These numerous distinctions have many reasons. The first is aesthetic: the Canal du Midi is beautiful, its surroundings are majestic. Moreover, it was an engineering feat, created by the mind of Béziers-born Pierre-Paul Riquet, with the labor of about 12,000 workers. Finally, the Canal du Midi remains a key component of the local identity, as much as it was an economic development tool (agriculture, viticulture, freight transport, etc.). The municipalities of the surrounding area it passes through (Béziers, Villeneuve-lès-Béziers, Cers) show an unwavering attachment to it: along the canal or its banks, people walk, sail... they live.
Other Must-See Landmarks
The Béziers Arena, built in 1897, the Saint-Nazaire Cathedral and Bishop's Garden, the Old Bridge and the Amphitheater, the Ancient Arenas, the Allées Paul Riquet, and the municipal theater, the Garden of Poets... And if you continue to explore our Béziers region, you will discover more treasures: the town of Molière – Pézenas, the Etang de Thau, the Héric Gorges, the Cirque de Navacelles, the Valmagne Abbey, Pic Saint-Loup, the city of Carcassonne, and the Camargue...
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