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Béziers is a subprefecture of the Hérault department in the southern French region of Occitanie. The commune has a population of 77,177 people in 2017. Every August, Béziers hosts the famed Feria de Béziers, which is centered on bullfighting. A million people are expected to attend the five-day festival.

The village is situated on a tiny hill above the Orb River, around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Mediterranean coast and 75 kilometers (47 miles) southwest of Montpellier. The Canal du Midi bridges the river Orb in Béziers through a viaduct known as the Pont-canal de l'Orb, which is said to be the first of its kind.

Attractions

Saint-Nazaire Cathedral: Located in the town's upper reaches, it commands a magnificent setting that can be seen from afar as one approaches Béziers on the route from Narbonne. The vaulted nave, 14 m (45.93 ft) wide and 32 m tall, is a magnificent example of 14th century intermediate Gothic construction (104.99 ft). The whole length is 50 m. (164.04 ft). The diameter of the western rose window is 10 m. (32.81 ft).

The Plateau des Poètes (1867) : The Bulher brothers, landscape painters, designed this huge English style (formal) park. It has several poet sculptures and a massive fountain of the Titan by Injalbert. The park connects the station to the Paul Riquet allées...

The allées Paul Riquet, where a huge bronze statue by David d'Angers honors the Canal du Midi's founder, Pierre-Paul Riquet. The bas reliefs that adorn the neo-Classical façade of the Municipal Theatre (1844) at the top of the allées were produced by the same artist. During the Feria, these lanes are the focal point of the celebrations.

Arenas: Béziers contains two arenas, one from the Roman era whose buildings and foundations have been maintained following significant renovations in the Saint-Jacques area, and the other erected in 1905 by Fernand Castelbon de Beauxhostes in the manner of Spanish bullrings. The latter is one of France's largest such constructions (seating 13100). The arena holds concerts and a bullfighting event (the Féria) in August.

The Fine Arts Museum (musée des Beaux-Arts), founded in 1859, received the gift of Injalbert's widow in 1934 and Jean Moulin's drawings and art collection in 1975. Canvases by Hans Holbein, Sébastien Bourdon, Géricault, Vincent van Gogh, Cham Soutine, and Henri Goetz are among the paintings on display at the museum.

The Saint-Jacques Museum, housed in a military barracks, houses artifacts depicting life in the Béziers region (Biterrois).

The Pont Vieux is a stone bridge that spans the Orb (Middles Ages).

The 18th-century Le Cimetière Vieux (Old Cemetery) is a genuine open-air museum, with several graves and works of art by local sculptors such as Jean Magrou and Injalbert.

Canal du Midi by Pierre-Paul Riquet (17th century) The Pont-canal de l'Orb canal viaduct; the Fonserannes staircaise locks; the unfortunate Fonserannes "water slope"; and the Fonserannes lock extension (now also out of service) to the River Orb are all Béziers constructions.