The Canal du Midi is impressive on its own so just imagine how amazing its structures are!
The Fonseranes 9 Locks and the water slope
The Fonseranes 9 Locks are a must-visit in Béziers Méditerranée, a hive of life and a lovely place to visit with all sorts of things to see and do near the Canal du Midi. Its 8 locks and 9 basins give you a real insight into just how epic this structure is! Pierre-Paul Riquet is the brains behind it and the immersive cinema teaches you all about his life and the stages involved in building this mammoth construction.
The Fonseranes 9 Locks were once used so cargo boats could pass through; they are now a tourist attraction with countless visitors passing through to explore in and around the Canal du Midi.
It’s the perfect site packed with all kinds of things to do for all ages, so make sure you stop here whilst you’re visiting. With boat trips, bike rides, walks and activities put on by tourist information, you won’t have time to get bored!
You’re bound to spot an odd structure just behind the locks, what’s left of a bygone project… the water slope! The abandoned project was meant to help wider barges pass through and get boats from one point to the next with its wheel device.
The Canal Bridge
At the foot of Fonseranes hill, the Canal du Midi ran up against the River Orb: barges had to cross the river to get back onto the canal on the other side, at Port Saint-Sauveur. But the Orb’s violent floods caused many boats to be wrecked. The canal branch towards the Orb was sealed off and the canal’s water and its traffic was diverted along a canal bridge over the Orb, 28m wide and 240m long, which was inaugurated in 1858b, long de 240 m et large de 28 m.
