Sete and Water Jousting

The Travel Pages visits Sete near Montpellier, the Little Venice of the Languedoc, and sees its traditional sport of water jousting taking place.

The coastal town of Sete is about 35 kms (22 miles) from Montpellier. Its attractive old neighbourhoods are criss-crossed by a series of canals, resulting in it being called ‘the Little Venice of the Languedoc’. Sete is an important fishing port, located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Thau Lagoon with its famous oyster beds.

Sete’s Vieux Port

The Vieux Port, in the heart of the city, leads into the Canal Royal, the main waterway. With the fresh fish market so close at hand, there’s no better place than the city’s restaurants to try local specialities like bourride (monkfish in aioli sauce) or la tielle (octopus and tomato pie), as well as oysters and shellfish.

Sete’s Canal Royal

Take a stroll along the pretty Canal Royal, lined with colourful buildings, restaurants and cafes and crossed by several bridges; look for the statue of the water jouster near Pont de la Civette. Or just sit on the grandstand beside the quai and watch the pleasure boats pass by.

You can hire your own boat or take a one-hour cruise along the coast or the lagoons. The rocky outcrop of Mont St-Clair, 175m (574ft) high, rises to the west of the city centre. A viewing tower at the top affords a wonderful panorama over the town, lagoon, and coastline.

Artists in Sete

The writer and artist Paul Valéry was from Sete, as was singer Georges Brassens, and there are museums dedicated to both of them. Nearly 450 painters and sculptors have made their home in Sete, including Pierre Soulages.

Sete’s Beaches

Sandy beaches stretch for 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) west to Cap d’Agde. The first can be reached in about a half-hour’s walk along the promenade that begins at the Vieux Port. The long, wide promenade is great for cycling, skating, and strolling, with walkways leading down to the beaches on the corniche.

There are several trains a day to Sete from Montpellier. As you approach Frontignan, the penultimate stop, the lagoons come into view. Between here and Sete you may see flocks of flamingos feeding in the shallow waters.

 Water Jousting in Sete

During the summer months, Sete is the place to see one of the most colourful and unusual sports in Europe – water jousting. ‘Les Joutes’ is a medieval-style joust that takes place on the water, rather than on horseback. There are two teams manning long wooden boats, brightly painted in their team colour of red or blue.

The Water Jousters

The jousters are mainly local fishermen dressed in nautical white. One stands on top of the jousting platform, which extends from the stern some 3 metres (10ft) above the water. Others sit below on the platform ladder for balance. Ten oarsmen row the rival boats towards each other, directed by a helmsman, while a drummer and oboe player sit in the bow playing the traditional jousting song.

The Winner

The jousters hold a lance and a shield. As the boats pass on the left, they try to knock each other into the water. Often, a jouster will be thrown into the air by a direct hit. The winner is the one who remains standing on the platform. In the stands, a brass band pumps up the crowd with lively songs and trumpet salutes to the victors after exciting passes.

The History of Water Jousting in Sete

Water jousting is an ancient sport. It was recorded in Lyon as early as the 12th century, but it dates back to Roman, Greek, and even ancient Egyptian times. Water jousting is held in seven other Languedoc towns (and elsewhere in France using different methods), but the most prestigious event is the tournament of the Festival of Saint-Louis, held on Sete’s Canal Royal every year on 25 August since 1666. Sete has six jousting societies and a jousting school, and you can see tournaments in other areas of town such as the fishing village of Pointe Courte.

Sete: More Information

Tourist Office
tourisme-sete.com
60 Grand Rue Mario Roustan
Phone: 04 67 74 71 71