5 Best Sights in Toulouse and the Languedoc, France

Stretching from Revel (51 km/32 miles west of Toulouse) to Bedarieux (40 km/25 miles north of Béziers), the Haut Languedoc Regional Natural Park embraces some 3,100 squre km (1,200 square miles) of thickly wooded hills and valleys and is home to diverse wildlife. Its slopes are traversed by Grande Randonnée long-distance walking trails.

Rebuilt over several centuries after the sack of Béziers, the cathedral's western facade resembles a fortress for good reason—it served as a warning to would-be invaders. Note the medieval wall along Rue de Juiverie, which formed the limit between the cathedral precincts and the Jewish quarter. Inside the cathedral, look for the magnificent 17th-century walnut organ and the frescoes representing the lives of St-Stephen and others.

The heavily restored church, with its distinctive octagonal tower, was the place where the infamous 1209 massacre began. Some 7,000 townspeople, who had sought refuge from Simon de Montfort inside the church, were burned alive before he turned his attention to sacking the town. The event is known as le grand mazel (the great slaughter).

The late-19th-century Halles in Béziers mirrors the style of the architect Baltard, who built the original Les Halles in Paris. This is a particularly beautiful example, with large stone cabbages gracing the entrance like urns.

Adjoining the cathedral are a 14th-century cloister and the Jardin des Évêques, a terraced garden descending to the banks of the Orb. The views from here, which take in Béziers's five bridges, are magnificent.