Car Hire Beziers - Mini guide to Beziers

Situated on a hill overlooking the Orb River, Beziers is the capital of the Languedoc wine region and home to a great Languedocian adopted tradition: English rugby. Located southwest of Montpellier and 14kms from the Mediterranean Sea, this picturesque town is best approached by road from Carcassonne. As you cross the Pont-Neuf, the castle-like towers of Cathedrale St-Nazaire slowly come into view.

The Gothic cathedral is certainly the most recognisable symbol of Bezier, its original architecture having been reconstructed since its razing by crusaders at the start of the 13th century. From the top of the cathedral tower there's a superb view out across sprawling vineyards, while the surrounding medieval streets contain the city’s main museums.

Moving away from the cathedral area, the Allées Paul-Riquet is a beautiful, wide thoroughfare lined with restaurants, bars and shops. The allées lead from an impressive 19th-century theatre on place de la Victoire to the pretty landscaped park of the Plateau des Poètes, whose ponds, palms and limes were based on 19th century English models.

Rue Viennet, in the old quarter, has a good choice of restaurants in the shadows of the cathedral, while place de la Madeleine and the area north of place Jean-Jaurès are also worth investigating.

A short drive east of Beziers will lead you to the endless Mediterranean beaches that dot the coast, notably Valgras Plage, St Pierre sur Mer and Cap d’Agde. Also within easy reach are the one-time Roman capital of Narbonne, with its cathedral and museums, and the popular hillside market town of Minerve.

Beziers is easy to reach by road from Carcassonne on the A9, and Toulouse on the A61. There are direct SNCF rail routes between Beziers and several major cities including Paris and Barcelona, and there is an international airport on the outskirts of town.