Thezan Villa - THEZ102

Set in the beautiful and historic region of Hérault (Department 34), Thézan-les-Béziers is a small village about 8km from the outskirts of Béziers. It is totally surrounded by vineyards and ideally placed for visitors to the region with magnificent beaches 15kms to the south and mountains and stunning scenery to the north. It is only 10 minutes from the A9 motorway which offer excellent communication links to/from the UK.

The village contains a good range of shops including a butcher, baker (also a chocolatier), chemist, fuit and veg shop, general store, post office and there is a small market 2 mornings per week. There are 2 bars, one of which offers homemade pizza to eat in or take out. Tourism has largely passed Thézan by and the village has retained its original local feel. The addition of a rack of postcards of Th'zan in the newsagent is the only outward sign that the village has recognised the rise in tourism in the area.

Nearby attractions include:
Mediterranean beaches to suit all tastes (from 15kms) ranging from quiet and secluded without facilities, to busy ports with bars and restaurants.

Central Béziers (10kms) contains markets (including antiques), a tree-lined centre with bars and restaurants, theatre and art galleries and excellent shops!

Parc Naturel du Languedoc (20kms). North of Thézan including gorges, caves, walking, swimmimg, whitewater rafting, cycling and fishing.

Carcassonne (100kms) is the largest fortified mdieval town.

The River Orb (3kms) for swimming, fishing or walking.

Airports
To reach Thézan by air you can fly to:
Beziers-Cap d'Agde - 30 mins
Montpellier -1 hour
Carcassonne - 1 hour 20 mins
Perpignan - 1 hour 20 mins

This region in the Languedoc is rich and varied, which you will really enjoy exploring. You can only really get to know the region after spending some time discovering its countryside, meandering along its paths and beaches and tasting its fine wines. Its Mediterranean coast and mountainous hinterland are bathed in sunshine over 300 days a year and provide wonderful escapades for families or couples, on horseback or on foot, by bike, boat or canoe.

20 minutes drive to the nearest Mediterranean beach of Valras Plage, which has a wide stretch of golden sandy beach, great facilities for children (climbing frames, rope swings etc very popular), plus an excellent choice of bars and restaurants. Within 30 minutes there are numerous other beaches such as Vendres, Vias plus the excellent vibrant resort of Cap d'Agde, which also has Aqualand water park, boat trips, water sports, an excellent marina and a huge selection of restaurants and bars.

BEZIERS - An old town dating back 2,700 years, Béziers was an excellent wine-producing town and prospered in the 18thC when it became one of the most important wine production centres, whose rich winegrowers built beautiful residences and châteaux. Magnificent buildings in the Haussmann style sprung up at the same time as the arenas, theatre and the Plateau des Poètes (a stunning English-style garden where you can find many species little known in this part of the world). You can also visit the imposing St Nazaire Cathedral which overlooks the river Orb.

THE CANAL DU MIDI - Explore it on rollerblades, on horseback, by bike, by barge or simply on foot. Whichever you choose, it will be an ideal way to discover one of the longest canals in France. A historic feat, the Canal du Midi, an immense and incredible project for its time, connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. It spans 150 miles, weaving its way from Sète to Toulouse where it meets the Garonne river. Its engineer, Pierre-Paul Riquet, who was born in Béziers, took almost 20 years to design and build this jewel in the French heritage, now classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

AGDE & CAP D’AGDE - Agde is a town that has a rich and fascinating history and has existed since Neolithic times. Agde became a tourist town in 1970, when the decision was taken to develop a seaside resort at Cap d’Agde, surrounded by the Mediterranean, the remains of ancient volcanoes and vineyards. In addition to the town’s historic heritage, Agde is also very well known for its naturist quarter which welcomes around 50,000 people each year.

SÈTE - Sète is a charming town which has the air of a village, and nestles at the foot of Mont St Clair, between the Mediterranean and the Thau lagoon. Sète’s unique feature is that it is located at the mouth of the Canal du Midi. Sète is a traditional town which nurtures its culture and identity. Sète is also renowned for its nautical jousting tournaments inherited from an ancestral tradition as well as for its local speciality, the Tielle (a sort of octopus pie with spicy tomato sauce).

PEZENAS - The architecture and the streets of the village are well worth a detour. A destination particularly appreciated by the British due to its charm and refined boutiques, Pézenas has a wealth of buildings and hotels in characteristic architecture. The town is also the birthplace of the singer Boby Lapointe and maintains its tradition as a town of street entertainers and artists, with theatricalised guided tours and numerous art galleries and artists’ workshops. The town also has several unusual museums such as the Museum of Toys and Delights of Yesteryear, or the Door and Wrought Iron museum.

SALAGOU LAKE - a large man-made lake created in 1969 to irrigate the Salagou valley and reduce the rise in water levels in the Hérault river. There are spectacular views of the lake from the hillsides around; the Salagou is the ideal place to take a stroll in harmony with nature or to have a picnic with the family.

MONTPELLIER - No other town aside from Montpellier, capital of the Haut Languedoc, has experienced such rapid growth in France. A booming town, Montpellier is dynamic, and renowned as much for its heritage as for the great scholars and thinkers who settled here throughout the centuries. There are plenty of attractions on offer for children. Do not forget to visit the Mare Nostrum Aquarium, the Amazonian Greenhouse, the Lunaret Zoological Park or the Galileo Planetarium, which will enchant both the young and old. The Theatre Square (Place de la Comédie), the town’s central hub, is one of the largest pedestrianised areas in Europe. It is also one of the few cities that is home to stringed-instrument makers.

SERIGNAN MUSEUM - This was the first museum of contemporary art in the Hérault. It houses a plethora of graphic art displays in an area of 2,500 m², in which you will find permanent and temporary collections. The works in this place are expressed in various ways, each displayed in turn in the graphic arts exhibition room, video room, experimental display, library room or quite simply in the gallery. The museum is open to the general public and offers guided visits, lectures and workshops for children. www.lemusee@ville-serignan.fr

THE ST JEAN RANCH - The St Jean Ranch offers a range of equine activities such as excursions, horse-drawn carriage rides, horse rides on the beach or at sunset , and even excursions for experienced riders. You will not be disappointed with your adventure whilst braving the experience.

CANOE AND KAYAK - The canoe and kayak club at the Tarassac windmill (50km/30 miles north of Béziers) offers you the opportunity to explore the Orb valley in an original way. With a choice of several routes, you can opt to be guided along the water by qualified instructors or explore the Orb at your own pace by hiring a boat from the club.

DEVÈZE CAVE - An authentic and living French speleology museum, it is often referred to as the glass spinner’s palace. On exiting the entrails of the earth after your one hour visit, the botanical pathway and the Chemin des Capitelles (path of dry stone huts) await you to prolong your adventure.

SIGEAN AFRICAN NATURE RESERVE - Safari lovers no longer need to travel to the other side of the world. Languedoc-Roussillon offers you the opportunity to observe animals just a stone’s throw away from your holiday location. Unique in Europe, this park is home to almost 4,000 animals which roam free all year round.

BEZIERS TOURIST TRAIN - Visit Béziers on board its tourist train and you will discover the Canal du Midi, the 9 locks, the Plateau des Poètes or the Madeleine Church and the St Nazaire Cathedral. The guided tour is delivered in several languages.

SERIGNAN VINEYARDS - The Sérignan vineyards invite you to join a refreshing tour that will revitalise your taste buds. Established in 1935, this cooperative winery offers you the opportunity to sample its wines in the company of professionals and to discover the art of the region’s quality wines.

BOAT EXCURSION - At Grau d’Agde on board the Millésime, we can offer you guided excursions between the Canal du Midi, Thau lagoon and the Hérault river. You will appreciate sea fishing and the magnificent coastal scenery.

MARE NOSTRUM AQUARIUM - Visit the aquarium in Montpellier where, in a one and a half hour visit through a 1,500 m² trail, you can see over 300 species housed in this underground world. It will certainly not fail to amaze both the old and the young.

BEZIERS ADVENTURE PARK - This adventure park is set in the forest. There are 10 courses of varying levels, an extreme course and two unique and special zip-wire courses. An adventure for everyone!


Golf
Beziers hosts a magnificent 18-hole golf course at Golf St Thomas, close to Bessan. About 25 minutes away there is the picturesque 9-hole course at Lamelou les Bains where there is also an excellent club house restaurant to enjoy French cuisine after your game. There is also a championship third course at the beautiful Cap D'Agde beach resort.

Travel
Beziers-Cap d'Agde 20 minutes, flights currently available from London Luton and Bristol. Carcassonne and Montpellier airport both approximately 1 hour's drive. Perpignan and Nimes airport 1 hour 30 minutes. Toulouse airport 2 hours. Marseilles airport 2 hours. Gerona (Spain) 2 hours. Plus numerous other airports as well as the excellent TGV train service all the way from London to Beziers via Paris as well as the superb new road network now in place. This area is now extremely accessible for all travellers.

Distances
Beziers - For stunning cathedral, great markets and good shopping -10 minutes.
Valras plage - Great family friendly beach - 20 minutes.
Cap d'Agde - Lots of fun for all the family - 30 minutes.
River Orb - For stunning views, canoeing, and great river swimming 15 minutes.
Canal du Midi - For walking or cycling along it's shady paths, or why not take a boat trip - 15 minutes.
Montpellier - Stunning historic university city plus excellent shopping and sight seeing facilities - 1 hour.

The nearby River Orb offers many opportunities for kayaking, fishing and swimming from it's various beaches. If you drive further north out of the village and follow the winding path of the Orb this will take you through vineyards as well as some of the most breathtaking scenery on the edge of the Parc Naturel du Languedoc where you are able to find cycling and hiking trails, beautiful spa towns, rock climbing and even paragliding.

If you fancy swimming in a large man made lake the awe-inspiring Lac du Salagou is only a 25 minute drive where the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

The nearest Mediterranean beach is only 20 minutes away at Valras Plage which is a vibrant family friendly town with many shops, bars, restaurants and plenty of beach activities.

Narbonne is about a 25 minute drive and is also steeped in history. Good for sightseeing, shopping and lots of excellent restaurants.

The area constitutes one of the largest wine-producing regions in the world and the local Domaines - as they are known locally - are usually only too happy to offer a tasting of their wines, the closest being only 5 minutes away at Murviel les Beziers or Domaine Castan at Cazouls Les Beziers where there is also an interesting museum.