BEZIERS
Beziers was the Roman town housing the Seventh Legion, and is situated on a hill that slopes down to the River Orb. A fine view of the River and surrounding countryside can be had from the terrace of the Cathedral of St. Nazaire.	The Beziers coat of arms, a crown surmounting a shield indicates that Beziers was once a fortified City
In 1209, during his crusade against the Albigensians, Simon de Montfort burned the Cathedral to the ground together with 30,000 of the Beziers population who were sheltering inside. The City did not recover from this disaster until the 19th C. when it recovered its wealth from wine production. Beziers was already a thriving city when the Romans arrived in about 35 B.C. It still perches in the same location as in those days, on a plateau overlooking the River Orb.
Statue of Paul Riquet, builder of the Canal du midi	At the center of Beziers is the Allee Paul Riquet, a large promenade, shaded by trees, 600 meters long and named after one of its sons. It is lined with pavement cafes and bustles with life.
Pierre Paul RIQUET was the builder of the Canal du Midi, that passes by Beziers. The canal descends 30 meters in 350 meters through the nearby Neuf Ecluses de Fonseranes. (the nine locks of Fonseranes), It then crosses the River Orb by bridge.
At one end of the Allee Paul Riquet is the Theatre, and at the opposite end is the “Plateau du Poetes”, a beautiful public garden, built on a hill that descends to the Railway Station below the town. Apart from its normal leisure use the park is frequently put to use by wedding parties as a venue for their photographs. “Les Halles” is a well known covered market that has been recently restored, and is worth visiting for its display of fresh fish. On Fridays there is a large flower market occupying the whole of the Allee Paul Riquet, and in the nearby square called the Champ de Mars there is a general market.
During the week leading up to the 15th August, Beziers’ Spanish influence is apparent, when the bullfighting (feria) takes place. The town is given over to hundreds of wine and paella stands and a carnival atmosphere takes over. The wine flows freely and dancing in the streets continues throughout the five nights of festivities.
Beziers is a rugby mad town, and one of its most striking buildings is the modern Stade de la Mediteranee. The Stade was completed in 1989 and is home to the Beziers rugby team, who have won the French rugby championship eleven times in their history. After a period of indifferent rugby Beziers is now back in the French first division. Beziers is the southern most venue used for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Beziers was also used as a venue for the 1991 World Cup. Beziers is known in the region as the Capital du Vin and wine certainly plays an important part in the town’s economy, but in recent years the tourist industry has probably become even more important. Certainly for the tourist there is an abundance of interesting places to visit, and the nearby coastal resorts boast some wonderful beaches.