Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
19,89 Km
1 h 19 min
I cycle often
This stage is packed with surprises. The 17th-century Tunnel de Malpas draws the attention, built as Europe’s first-ever navigable canal tunnel. On the hill above, visit the impressive vestiges of a pre-Roman, Celtic settlement, the Oppidum d’Ensérune. From here, look down on the amazing pattern of the dried-out circular lake of Montady, originally dug by medieval monks. Then admire the extraordinary nine locks of Fonsérannes and the splendid canal-bridge over the Orb River with magnificent views up to historic Béziers.
210.63 m 185.03 m
The route
The track along the towpath is not specially laid out for cyclists and is rough in patches.
Off the route
Just 2km away from this stage, Nissan-lez-Ensérune is one much-appreciated stopping place, but the very lively port of Colombiers makes another tempting option for a stop.
Gares SNCF
Béziers train station:
TER regional trains and Intercités trains serve > Narbonne/Carcassonne/Toulouse/Bordeaux; Agde/Sète/Montpellier (many trains daily); Avignon/Marseille (3 to 4 trains daily); Millau/Rodez/Clermont-Ferrand
Connections at Montpellier for Lyon/Paris; Nîmes/Alès/Clermont-Ferrand.
Tourist offices
They did it!
1000 km à vélo à travers le sud de la France
De La Rochelle à Avignon en 10 jours