Béziers

Every August, the Feria de Béziers draws around a million visitors to this southern French wine town for five days of bullfighting — one of the largest events of its kind in France. Set on a bluff above the river Orb, the town is also home to the Pont-canal de l'Orb, a canal aqueduct where the Canal du Midi crosses the river, and the staircase of nine locks at Fonseranes. Archaeological evidence suggests Greek founders established a settlement here in the 7th century BCE, making it among the oldest towns in France.

• Population74,081
• Nearest water0.5 km
• Nearest mountain19.4 km