Béziers, France, may not have the same prime spot overlooking the sea as the neighbouring Mediterranean towns to the south, but when the festive season arrives, Béziers boasts a significant advantage over those beachfront resorts. Although the Mediterranean climate is renowned for its particularly mild winters, Béziers is located just far enough from the coast, about 6 miles, that snowfall is a possibility. It's somewhat of a rarity, but it does happen!
As the festive season arrives in Béziers, the town sees wintery weather similar to that in Carcassonne. Although snowfall may be infrequent, temperatures do become much colder, ranging from 5 to 12 degrees Celsius on average, and will continue to drop further into the New Year. Rainfall is roughly 63 mm which is high for the region, but a welcome relief from the particularly drizzly autumn.
The Christmas market arrives in Béziers in December, with many stalls located along Allées Paul Riquet. As well as local sellers offering homemade foods and drinks and handcrafted goods and Christmas ornaments, there's also a range of fun activities for children, and a chance to meet Santa. For the adults, there's plenty of opportunities to sample some of the region's famous wines.
La Vigne Gourmande is an excellent place to stop for an authentic French dinner. The restaurant aims to serve up only local produce, perfectly paired with Languedoc wines. One of the most intriguing aspects of this restaurant is the lobster menu, offering four courses based upon the sought after seafood. The eatery is located close to Allées Paul Riquet, overlooking the market stalls.
The 2* Hotel Terminus boasts 40 rooms all equipped with Wi-Fi which are offered from £42 per night. Rooms sleep between one and four guests, and a buffet style breakfast is served up each morning (kids eat for free!). The property has a safe and secure parking garage perfect for storing rental cars or bicycles.
