Discover Canet: village history, wine and the Hérault

Canet lends itself to a range of themes: village history, routes along the Hérault, cycling and wine. The Hérault River forms the eastern boundary of the town. The Pont de Canet is a landmark in the town’s history and is also part of the “Escapade à vélo N°4” cycling tour, which crosses it. When planning your visit, you can focus on different things: historic sites, cycling or wine experiences.

Riverside routes and cycling

The official 2023/24 leaflet describes the village walk through Canet as a small, yellow-marked trail along the river. It rates the walk as easy and gives its length as two kilometres and its duration as one hour; check trail conditions before setting out. This makes the walk a much shorter option than the “Escapade à vélo N°4” cycling tour, which takes two days and covers 95 kilometres. The route crosses the Pont de Canet. Before setting off, check current route conditions and booking requirements.

The “Au bord de l’Hérault” walk involves looking for signs of otters and beavers, having a picnic on a river beach, and activities involving pebbles. Dates may vary depending on the season, so check in advance. The river is therefore not only Canet’s eastern boundary, but also a focus for walks and activities along its banks.

Bridge, churches and historic districts

The Pont de Canet has stood in its present form since 1935; it was restored in 2012 and 2017. Notre-Dame de Bethléem Church dates back to a chapel built by the Dominicans. Its construction took six years, from 1630 to 1636. The dates place the chapel’s construction in the 17th century; the bridge in its present form is much newer and was restored later. These landmarks represent different periods of history.

The Barry district is the oldest part of Canet and lies around the remains of the Church of Saint-Martin. The district within the castle’s fortifications still bears traces of towers and contains the castle’s main building. Together, these places offer a glimpse into different aspects of the town’s history: the development of its churches, its older buildings and the surviving parts of the castle complex.

Wine and weekly market

At the Domaine de la Dourbie in Canet, the visitor experience includes an interactive wine-tourism trail. Visitors learn about every step in the production of organic wine; check current availability before your trip. A complimentary wine tasting and cellar-door sales are also available. Check the availability of these offers in advance as well.

The Domaine is on the Route d’Aspiran (RD 130), four kilometres from exit 57 on the A75. Take road conditions into account when planning your journey. For 2026–2027, the traditional market is scheduled for Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with four to five local producers’ stalls. Check the hours and number of stalls again for later visits.

The activities differ in how you can plan for them: the market has a set Thursday time slot, while dates for the walk along the Hérault may vary by season. For the winery, check the current availability of visitor experiences. This helps you distinguish fixed market hours from activities whose dates or availability you should check before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Clément-De-Rivière, Le Soulié, Ferrières-Les-Verreries, Pinet, Saint-André-De-Sangonis, Bélarga, Hérépian, Rieussec.

For the broader travel guide: Hérault.