Ecluses de Fonserannes

The Ecluses de Fonserannes at Beziers. Image by Dedounet. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License 1.0

The Ecluses de Fonserannes are a series of locks on the Canal de Midi at the foot of the high ground on which Beziers is located.

The Canal de Midi, which is 240 km long, meets the Canal de Garonne at Toulouse and thus links Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast to the port of Sete on the Mediterranean. The canal, completed by the engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet in 1681,  passes through Beziers as it descends towards the coastal plain.

The locks comprise eight egg-shaped basins, unique to the Canal du Midi, and nine gates. They enable barges to climb 21.5 metres over a distance of 300 metres.

The locks, an impressive example of civil engineering, are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Languedoc region. The lock-keeper's house, several horse-drawn barges, and the stables also attract numerous visitors.

The pont du canal over the River Orb at Beziers

The Canal du Midi crosses the River Orb as an aqueduct at Beziers. The bridge, completed in 1856, is one of the most impressive canal bridges in France and avoids the need for hazardous river navigation.

 

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