Sete

Sete was created in 1666 as the Mediterranean outlet of the Canal du Midi, built on a spit between the sea and the Etang de Thau, and it is cut by canals with fishing and trawler quays. Water jousting began with the town: two boats row at each other, each carrying a jouster on a raised platform with a lance and shield, and the aim is to knock the other into the canal; the main tournament is the Saint-Louis in August. Paul Valery and Georges Brassens were born here and both are buried in the town. Mont Saint-Clair rises behind. The tielle is a local pie of octopus in tomato sauce.

History

The name first appears in Ptolemy as Setion oros, and later in Avienus as Setius mons. On 29 July 1666 the first stone of the Saint-Louis pier was laid; the Canal du Midi was completed in 1681, Vauban visited the port in 1684 and the Saint-Louis church was consecrated in 1703. From 24 to 26 July 1710, in the War of the Spanish Succession, the British attacked the town and were driven back by the Duke of Noailles, after which the Saint-Pierre and Butte-Ronde forts were built, followed by the Richelieu citadel and the Castellas tower in 1744. The first stone of the breakwater was laid on 21 May 1821, finished in 1869, the railway to Montpellier opened on 9 June 1839, and an electric tramway ran from 1901 to 1935; on 20 January 1928 the town's name was changed from Cette to Sète. The Théâtre de la Mer was built in 1960, the Paul Valéry museum opened in 1970 and the Espace Georges Brassens, dedicated to the singer, on 31 October 1991 (Wikipedia, Sète).

What to look for

• The water jousting - lance duels from boat platforms in the canal.
• The working port - trawlers and fish quays through the town.
• Mont Saint-Clair - a hill giving the whole spit, sea and lagoon.
• The tielle stalls - octopus pies sold across the town.

When to go

June to September for jousting, with the Saint-Louis tournament in late August drawing the largest crowds. Oyster farming on the Etang de Thau runs year-round.

Things to know

Jousting dates are limited and the canal banks are packed for the big ones. The town is a working port, gritty in places rather than pretty. Summer accommodation books out.

Nearby

The Etang de Thau oyster beds lie behind; Montpellier is northeast.