Follow the pedestrian trail through the heart of town to discover Vias’ architectural and historic heritage. The trail starts outside the church and takes about 30 minutes, guiding you through the town and introducing you to all its historic treasures: public buildings, architectural features, etc. Each section is signposted and there is a commentary to read. The Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste : This listed 15^th Century monument, built in the Gothic style, is entirely constructed with black stone from volcanoes near Vias (Agde, Bessan, Saint-Thibéry); it is partly fortified and its position on the path round the ancient ramparts shows that it was sited in alignment with the town walls.
To the north of the sanctuary, there is an elegant square bell-tower, topped by a pyramidal steeple decorated with gargoyles; the tower is 53 metres high and is one of the loveliest structures in the Hérault.

The Canal du Midi is a vast, magnificent feat of engineering, built during the reign of Louis XIV between 1666 and 1681 by Pierre Paul Riquet, a Béziers tax collector. He designed the water supply system and a number of outstanding structures, chose the route, directed the works and got himself into debt: all with the aim of fulfilling a lifelong dream of linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The link was inaugurated in 1681, six months after Riquet’s death. The canal was completed by Vauban and became an important transport route, contributing to the development of trade in the lower Languedoc.
The canal remains unchanged and is now a World Heritage Site. It is once again very popular, due to the development of inland waterway tourism. It crosses the commune from east to west for a length of 5 kilometres. Its banks are a delightful place for a walk.

The Roque-Haute Nature Reserve has long been known for the beauty of its plant life. The Reserve is home to some ten species of great scientific interest.
This outstanding site was founded in 1975 as a result of the presence of rare ferns and their habitats (temporary ponds). It lies in the communes of Vias and Portiragnes and extends over 159 hectares of volcanic land created by the activity of the former Roque-Haute volcano 640,000 years ago. The basalt plateau is covered with typically Mediterranean plant life and contains a number of artificially hollowed-out depressions from which stone was extracted to build bridges and other structures for the Canal du Midi in the 17^th Century. The 205 ponds created by this quarrying dry out in early summer.

Engineering on the Libron : Following a number of floods on the Libron, it was decided in 1858 to ensure that the river would not burst its banks again. So, in the 19^th Century, an impressive feat of engineering was built in the area, consisting of a labyrinth of sluices, cogs and chains. The system allows the waters of the Libron to flow over the Canal du Midi on an artificial bed, using two sheets suspended from wagons on rails, which come together and block the passage on the canal. When the sluices are opened, the waters of the Libron are free to flow across the canal and on to the sea. After the flood, the canal is re-opened for boat traffic.

Mountain bike trails : There are six marked trails to help families explore the area by mountain bike.
The trails are generally quite flat and there are distances suited to all levels (9 km to 30 km). They start by the canal, close to the Pont des Jonquiés. Collect your free guide from the Tourist Office.