The Allées Paul Riquet is the central boulevard of Béziers, a wide tree-lined promenade named after Pierre-Paul Riquet, the Béziers-born engineer who conceived and built the Canal du Midi. His statue stands at one end of the allée, which runs through the heart of the old town connecting the main squares.
The allée functions as the daily social backbone of the city. A market operates here most mornings — fruit, vegetables, olives, fromage, charcuterie — and the surrounding cafes fill their terraces from mid-morning onwards. On Saturday mornings it is particularly lively. In August, during the week-long féria, the allée becomes the spine of the bullfighting festival, with temporary stands erected and the streets given over to music and crowds until late into the night. Outside féria week it is simply a pleasant place to walk, sit, and watch Béziers go about its business.