Beziers - a town famous for bull fighting & wine

BéziersBéziers is a large town in the Languedoc and is midway between Perpignan and Montpellier and located on a hill that overlooks the River Orb.  The beauty of Béziers is that everything is within walking distance but as it’s built on a slope some of the streets are quite steep. The 13th century Saint Nazaire Cathedral overlooks the River Orb and at sunset in the courtyard it is said you have the best views over the town and surrounding countryside.Béziers town has a large square where the weekly market is and dotted around the square are many cafes and bistros.  A number of the streets in the town are medieval with traditional shops and some smart designer shops.  Béziers is well known for two things, its wine and bull fighting or “corridas”.  It is without doubt one of the best times to visit is during the 4 day long Feria de Béziers when the town is in carnival mode!This annual event takes place in mid August when partying takes place from dawn until late in the evening and even the following dawn in some cases.  The brick arena becomes the focus of the festival where bullfights take place several times a day. Love it or loathe it, bullfighting is very popular in the south of France, particularly in the Languedoc, and is very much part of the culture here. It has been a tradition for centuries, due to the close proximity to Spain.   Much pomp and ceremony takes place during a bullfight and it is basically a test of courage, strength and skill between a bull and a matador, or torero. The torero must read the bull and anticipate his actions. His job is, admittedly to stay alive, but most importantly to entertain the crowd. Depending on his prowess (and the applause in the arena), the dignitary of the day may award an ear, or two ears, as a mark of his performance.  Not everyone can bear the bull fights and there is still much else going on in the town.  There is the enchanting horse show, the Spanish flamenco dancers, concerts, processions of floats and bands and much, much more. The Feria lots of different types of entertainment which suit all ages and most of it is free.Venturing out from Béziers to Cap d’Agde is a must for families as the Aqualand Water Park is great fun for all the family.  It’s set in a landscaped park next to the sea and houses numerous water slides, a huge wave pool and play areas for young children.  More about BeziersAccommodation in Beziers area below