Canal du Midi en fête

Special event to celebrate the historic Canal du Midi
A special attraction shortly in Béziers – “Canal du Midi en Fête”, a special event to celebrate the historic Canal du Midi

Béziers of course has special links with the canal, not least because the canal cuts through the town. The famous Les 9 écluses de Fonseranes (the 9 Locks of Fonseranes) which enable boats to continue on their journey from Toulouse to the Mediterranean, are also located in Béziers.

The locks are the most important construction on the Canal du Midi. They comprise eight water basins and nine locks, which make it possible for boats to be lowered 21.50m, over a total of length of more than 300m. The splendour of the site and the technical prowess which it represents in terms of civil engineering, continue to attract visitors from far and wide and make this a highlight on any Canal du Midi holiday. (The Fonseranes Locks are the 3rd most visited tourist site in Languedoc-Roussillon, after the Pont du Gard and the City of Carcassonne.)

And finally, Béziers is famous for Pierre-Paul Riquet. Born in Béziers in 1604 he was the equivalent of a present-day tax inspector in the region of Languedoc and was the prime mover for the construction of the Canal du Midi. He invested his own fortune in the building of the Canal. Unfortunately Pierre-Paul died in October 1680, exhausted by the scale of the task he had undertaken, although only 1.6km of canal still remained to be dug before reaching the Etang de Thau, linking the Atlantic and the Mediterranean – what a feat. The statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet (photo) in Béziers is located at the bottom of the café lined boulevard that carries his name.

To help celebrate this achievement, there is a locks festival on the site on June 12, 13 and 14, when you can enjoy canal trips, historic re-enactments, exhibitions and a range of other attractions.

Some interesting facts about the Canal du Midi
Length: 240km, from Toulouse to the Etang de Thau

Width: 20m at the surface, 11m at the bottom

Depth: 2m

Average slope: 58m between Toulouse and Naurouze, 110m, between Naurouze and Sète

Total number of locks: 63

Total number of buildings: 350 (including 130 bridges)

Volume of earthworks: 7 million m3 of earth all moved by hand!

Duration of works: 14 years