At a mere 20-minute drive from Béziers lies a surprising historic site. The Oppidum d’Ensérune used to be a fortified city, founded around 575 BC by the Celts. From a distance, it might look like just another bump in the landscape. But take a closer look, and you will discover the fascinating history of this typical Iron Age settlement. The view from the top of the hill is a bonus, as it gives you a panorama over the remarkable sun-shaped dry pond (‘étang’) of Montady.
Strategic position
The Oppidum d’Ensérune is perched on a hill between the villages of Nissan-lez-Ensérune, Colombiers, and Montady. This centuries-old strategic position overlooks the Pyrenees and the Canal du Midi on one side and the Caroux Massif and the Mediterranean Sea (a small blue line, but still) on the other. You can drive up to the designated parking lot, from there it is a 10-minute walk to the ticket office. Here, you can buy your entrance ticket (9 euros for adults, free for children under 18 years old), and there is also a little gift shop. You can get a flyer with an explanation in English (and other languages) and a plan for the site. The ticket also includes an entrance to the museum. And it’s a great picnic spot, as there are lovely tables under the pine trees.
Villa Maux
Via the archaeological excavations on the southern part of what used to be the rampart, the path directs you to the museum. It is housed in Villa Maux, built between 1911 and 1914, and shows the key role the oppidum played through archaeological finds on the site. Although small, it is well set up and provides more information about the 800 years of urban development and economic trade on the site. Located on a strategic route, it profited from the nearby Roman road, the Via Domitia, that connected Italy with Spain. Ancient traces of Celtic, Greek, Iberian, and Roman objects prove that Ensérune was an important city back in the day.
Extra loop
If you want, you can prolong your stay by visiting the western district. In about half an hour, you can walk this extra loop (called ‘circuit long’) of 1 km to visit the necropolis, Ensérune’s cemetery, dating from the 6th century BC to the 3rd century BC. It also takes you to the entrance gate and the artisan district. Your imagination has to be vivid, though, as only the remains are visible. But you might get an idea with the help of information signs (also in English) and drawings of how the specific district might have looked in the past. And at the top end of this route, you can visit a viewpoint- the eastern belvedere- from where you can see as far as the Pyrenees on a clear day.
Étang de Montady
Walking back on the other side will give you some more views of the so-called Étang de Montady. This used to be a 400 ha natural basin at the foot of the oppidum, carved out by the winds. Over the years (I’m talking about millions), it became a stagnant source of disease surrounded by marshland. Until the 13th century when the four pond owners decided to create a draining system. A central device led the water through an ingenious network of 60 ditches. It created an 80 km network to irrigate the surrounding agricultural land. It evacuated the water from the heart of the basin through an underground aqueduct- the Tunnel de Malpas- to the Capestang pond. By draining the water, the pond of Montady dried up. And eight centuries later, looking at the unique landscape of the 80 wedge-shaped plots, we can conclude that the drainage still works.
