9 écluses de Fonseranes
Gilles Delerue ADT 34

Fonseranes and its nine locks

A spectacular watery staircase

A major piece of engineering on the Canal du Midi, Fonseranes’s nine locks create a spectacular watery staircase, designed by 17th-century genius Pierre-Paul Riquet. Seven of the original locks are still in place, along with their associated basins, covering a shift in altitude of 21.5m along a length of 312m. Walkers have long appreciated coming here… over the last 350 years! Enjoy the film on the history of the Canal du Midi and Fonseranes’s nine locks.  

You reach the spot via the Maison de Site, at the top of the series of locks. Then take the gently sloping path allowing you to watch the seven working locks in action. For boats, the journey up lasts 45 minutes, the descent 30 minutes, making it easy for vessels to negotiate the steep gradient. Beside the nine locks, a device to accommodate much bigger boats than the traditional 17th-century gabarres reveals why trade via these waterways decreased through time. 

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Narbonne / Béziers

4 Narbonne / Béziers

60 km
3 h 35 min
I’m used to cycling
The Moulin du Gua with its brasserie restaurant marks the end of the Narbonne city section. At Le Somail, the Mediterranean Cycle Route and Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle routes meet. The Tunnel du Malpas was a major piece of civil engineering to carry the canal under Ensérune’ s hill. It’s worth cycling up to the Oppidum d’Ensérune, a significant pre-Roman settlement with views down on the extraordinary dried-out Montaldy Lake. The sites get even more remarkable along this stretch, with Fonseranes’s unique nine locks and the splendid canal-bridge over the Orb, a breath-taking engineering feat, offering views onto the city of Béziers.

It is advisable to request written authorization to cycle across these parts from VNF, the managing authority, in accordance with Article R4241-68 of the French Code des Transports.
Béziers / Sète

5 Béziers / Sète

51 km
3 h 19 min
I’m used to cycling
From Béziers’s port, the Canal du Midi à Vélo route directs you back to the Med. From Roque Haute bridge, you can easily access Portiragnes Beach by bike to enjoy a refreshing dip. Also stop to admire Le Libron’s curious adjustable aqueduct and Agde’s circular lock. Agde Cathedral, with its bell-tower dominating the Hérault River, calls on visitors to explore the ancient city below, built from black basalt. The Canal du Midi merges with the Etang de Thau lagoon at the level of Les Onglous lighthouse. From Marseillan-Plage, Le Lido Greenway sticks to the Mediterranean, leading you to Sète and its museums. How long will you resist the call of the sea for a swim along this stretch?

It is advisable to request written authorization to cycle across these parts from VNF, the managing authority, in accordance with Article R4241-68 of the French Code des Transports.