cathedrale saint nazaire

The Cathedral is both wonderful viewed from afar or from nearby . I often admire St Nazaire in the distance bur rarely climb up to visit the oldest part of historic Beziers. The opening times in the Winter are 9-12 & 14.30-17.30. I've taken a photo to show the plaque with times in Summer & also for the Mess. The views over the ramparts are amazing , great views of Oppidum d'Ensérune , Montady the Canal du Midi & the plains of Beziers .Walking round the nearby medieval streets full of history , Palais de Justice , Rue du Prison , Place de la Revolution , a couple of art museums ( Hotel Fayet & Hotel Fabregat), lots of lively bars & restaurants . I highly recommend this lovely area to visit & get the feel of historic Beziers

we toured many cathedrals during our time in France and there was something special about St Nazaire and I do not have the words to describe that. The organ playing went right to the soul the interior was not overly ornate however awing. The climb up to the bell tower was good exercise and close quarters for two way traffic. The view from the top is well worth the hike up a steep narrow spiral staircase, not a good place for the claustrophobic acrophobias. It gives a great overview of the town, locks, rivers and very pretty surroundings.

Parked at the square and made it over to the tourist office. They were very friendly and spoke English well. They pointed us in the right direction to Saint Nazaire Cathedral. Quite a remarkable building like so many others in the area. By chance we decided to snoop through an open door with some stairs and we walked up to an upper balcony overlooking the main nave. We were further rewarded when we found that you could go all the way up to the top and spend some time seeing the view from what has to be the highest spot around for a bit. A bit of a hike though. We didn't discover anything many other people have seen, but I was just surprised the entrance to these stairs isn't more visible or advertised.

Cathedral is situated on the hill with a beautiful view of the river valley and fields. It's a perfect place to see some amazing sunsets. You can sit on the benches and enjoy your time.

The Cathedral is bigger than it looks from the outside. A quiet place in a large town. The only part of the town we liked.We did not like Beziers, and will not be returning, there are so many other nicer places nearby to stay at or visit.

We visited this cathedral a number of times in the 1980's and 1990's before having a family, (once during a thunderstorm when it was hit and I was thrown against a wall so hard I still have the scar today!) and recently returned. It is in a wonderful setting, with a view across the plains, but the cathedral has become somewhat neglected. It was dirty in the main cathedral, with boards in some some places covering missing plasterwork, and the climb up the tower was really dusty. Despite the new shopping area and some nice places to eat it felt like the town was much poorer than before. There were working girls dotted along the main road into the town at lunchtime (with a few lorries pulled over - not something I wanted to explain to my children), and the lower town is much more run down. In other places looking after churches and cathedrals is a matter of pride regardless of the economy, so I was disappointed and a bit surprised as it would only take a handful of volunteers to sort it out!

With so much history around , this is the high spot of Bezier sightseeing. Beautiful views of the the cathedral from le ponte vieux.

Stunning cathedral at the top of the city with excellent views for miles around. Inside, the architecture and detail was unbelievable.

As a city attraction it's ok, as a cathedral it's nothing impressive, average on the inside. Make sure you walk to it as the surrounding area is worth the stroll.

A highlight of our visit to Beziers was an English speaking tour of the cathedral. Informative and very educational.

Title may seem a little flippant but feel half the joy of the cathedral is the 'quarter' it is set in.The cathedral is so dominant and imposing when viewed from the surrounding countryside you feel yourself pulled towards it. We'd tried driving up in the car the previous day and, even with the GPS, got lost in a myriad of small streets (finally beaten by a van travelling the wrong way down a narrow one-way street). This failure increased our desire to visit. For our second attempt we merely parked in one of the underground car parks in the centre of town and walked. Much more rewarding.Some wonderful old buildings and wonderful old roads. Real history and plaques on the wall etc. Then you suddenly arrive upon the cathedral and it is quite striking in the sunlight.Inside it is nice and there is a Bishop's Garden (maybe a bit unkempt) - but maybe not a complete 'stunner' of a cathedral. Great views from the forecourt.Thought you could go up one of the towers - but there was no option. The door to the bell tower was closed suggesting I'd chosen a bad day (or too close to lunch time).All-in-all very nice - but make sure you take in some of the surrounding area for ambience.

For years we have traveled the express ways past Beziers marveling at the sight and size of Cathedral St Nazaire. It rises high above the city. Totally awesome. Recently, we decided to take a short detour into the city to see the cathedral up close. We drove around the city for more than an hour, following the signs to the cathedral which led nowhere. Just as we were about to give up we saw a little tourist train and decided to followed it. The train wound through a number of very narrow alleyways and we finally were led to the cathedral. It is impossible to see any part of the cathedral from the downtown area due to other buildings. Without the little train we would never have found it on our own. Sadly, the cathedral itself was sad, both inside and out. Little of the rich and fascinating religious and political history surrounding the cathedral and city was evident. Do not waste your time. Just enjoy it from the expressway.

A beautiful place to visit. Great organ playing too! Really lovely architecture. The setting of the cathedral is second to none and well worth visiting .

The ability to find out the history of what happened was the main thing I liked - a very unusual tale. There were also good views over the landscape at the back. At the time of my visit there was some setting up in the cloisters, so you couldnt fully appreciate them. I think more could be made regarding the interpretation of history in the cloisters and may be some planting and seating would be useful as a nice place to stop for a while

Béziers is a truly delightful place to visit and the Cathedral is a highlight. It includes much history having been the site of a Roman temple and subsequently having the Romanesque parts built and then added to with early Gothic, late Gothic and also more Renaissance-style detailing.It is a grand space, perhaps a bit confused on the outside given its stylistic journey over many hundreds of years but integrated inside with lovely stained glass, stonework, huge altar piece and a magnificent wooden-encased organ.If you like cathedrals and are in the region, this is a must see. The area offers great views from the parapets and also many restaurants for a meal. Beyond that are other churches and great shopping as well as picturesque streets.