Rampe des Poilus

You are standing at the foot of the Rampe des Poilus, the long ascent that links the lower part of Béziers to Jean-Jaurès Square on the Citadel plateau. Formerly called the Rampe de la Citadelle, it once served as a direct access route to the city’s fortified heights. In 1918, after the First World War, it was renamed “Rampe des Poilus” in tribute to the soldiers of 1914–1918, a name that evokes effort, courage and remembrance. As you climb it, imagine the residents, carts and soldiers who used it over the centuries, travelling between the working-class districts below and the major squares of the city centre above. A simple ramp, but a true piece of Béziers’ history.