The best MTB trails around Montady

The Saint Roch footbridge, inaugurated in 2016 in Sérignan, is the first structure to cross the Orb river since the construction of the old metal bridge at the very beginning of the 20th century. It was also the only access road to the village and the beaches. But the width of the roadway and the sidewalks made circulation dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. The footbridge, 80 m long and 3.50 m wide, is reserved for them, as well as for people with reduced mobility. Crossing the Orb via the Saint Roch footbridge, lingering to watch the currents rush downstream, enjoying the view of Sérignan and the collegiate church, the wild banks of the Orb, is another way to enter Sérignan.

The Saint Roch footbridge, inaugurated in 2016 in Sérignan, is the first structure to cross the Orb river since the construction of the old metal bridge at the very beginning of the 20th century. It was, moreover, the only access road to the village and the beaches. But the width of the roadway and the sidewalks made circulation dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. The footbridge, 80 m long and 3.50 m wide, is on the contrary reserved for them, as well as for people with reduced mobility. Crossing the Orb via the Saint Roch footbridge, lingering to watch the currents rush downstream, enjoying the view of Sérignan and the collegiate church, the wild banks of the Orb, constitutes another way of entering Sérignan.

It is the « Pont Saint-Joseph », but for a long time everyone has called it « The Three Eyes Bridge ». It sounds more poetic. The Three Eyes Bridge is a very pleasant structure: a main arch to let boats pass, and two smaller ones, one of which lets water through, and the other the towpath. It must not have been easy in the time of bargemen (towing by horses) because it was necessary to detach, then reattach when the obstacle had been passed. Here it is obvious, but it is the case for almost all the bridges on the Canal du Midi. It must be said that most of the time, the boat continued on its momentum and was reattached on the other side. Another peculiarity of this place is that there are two spillways on either side of the bridge.

The spillways are 17th-century dressed stone structures located along the Canal du Midi, which allow the canal's water to be discharged during heavy rainfall or to be emptied for dredging work. Unlike the Canal du Midi, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, these structures benefit from no protection measures. In order to protect them, the Agglo Hérault Méditerranée has been undertaking significant restoration work on these hydraulic structures in the municipalities of Agde, Vias, and Portiragnes for about twenty years.

The Montady pond is a former pond, drained during the Middle Ages, located in the western part of the French department of Hérault, between Béziers and Narbonne. Thanks to drainage canals, the water is channeled towards a central collector, which explains the star-shaped layout of the fields and vineyards. This canal system dates back to the 13th century. Sixty drainage ditches converge at the circular ditch, called the Redondel, in the center of the former pond. The water is then carried away by a counter-sloping ditch towards the Capestang pond and through a tunnel under the Ensérune hill and the Malpas tunnel. The tunnel is located at a depth of 29.5 meters below the Malpas pass and 16 meters below the Canal du Midi tunnel. The pond is visible from the Montady tower, a remnant of the former 12th-century castle, and from the top of the hill, the Ensérune oppidum. Heavy rainfall, like that at the end of October 2019, can cause it to reappear. (Wikipedia)

An ideal footbridge for crossing the Orb by bike or on foot. Much more pleasant than the busy road bridge.

First possibility to cross the Orb from its mouth (the small ferry at Valras-Plage is only in operation during the summer season).

Beautiful route, but you'll need plenty of repair kit. We've had flats every day for the past four days. Always small thorns.