Pont-canal de l'Orb
The canal that flies over the river
The 1858 aqueduct where the Canal du Midi crosses the River Orb on a stone bridge. Walk or cycle along the towpath from the Fonserannes locks into town – about 20 minutes on foot.
UNESCO World Heritage
Canal du Midi
- World Heritage since
- 1996
- This site
- The canal bridge over the Orb
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.
43.3330° N, 3.2050° E
Road trips passing here
Nearby
- Fonserannes locks, Béziers1 km · The lock staircase on the Canal du Midi
Béziers1 km · The cathedral city above the Orb- Oppidum d'Ensérune & Malpas8 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 Midi30 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