Fonserannes locks, Béziers
The lock staircase on the Canal du Midi
Nine gates and eight oval lock chambers that raise boats 21.5 metres over 300 metres. Since 1858 the canal has crossed the River Orb on an aqueduct.
UNESCO World Heritage
Canal du Midi
- World Heritage since
- 1996
- This site
- The Fonserannes lock staircase
The 240-kilometre canal from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau was dug in 1666–1681 under the direction of Pierre-Paul Riquet and was one of the greatest engineering feats of its time: 63 locks, aqueducts, a tunnel and dams in the Montagne Noire that supply the canal with water. Together with the Canal de Garonne it links the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Visit: The towpath along the canal is perfect for cycling – long stretches are tarmac or compacted gravel. You can hire a canal boat without a boat licence. Don't miss the Fonserannes lock staircase near Béziers.
43.3360° N, 3.1990° E
Road trips passing here
Nearby
Pont-canal de l'Orb1 km · The canal that flies over the river
Béziers1 km · The cathedral city above the Orb- Oppidum d'Ensérune & Malpas7 km · A Gallic town, a circular field and a canal tunnel
- Valras-Plage12 km · The nearest beach to Béziers
- Pézenas23 km · Molière's town
Canal du Midi29 km · World Heritage from Toulouse to the Mediterranean
Minerve37 km · The hill village where the first great Cathar pyre burned
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert52 km · An abbey village in the Hérault gorge