Blog Excursions around Montpellier Saint-Guihlem-le-Désert

Excursions around Montpellier: Saint-Guihlem-le-Désert

Half-day excursion. Only 1 hour's drive from Montpellier, discover Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a typical Languedoc village, a stopover on the pilgrimage route to St Jaques de Compostelle (listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). It is a village classified as one of the "most beautiful villages in France"; only 300 inhabitants, more than a million tourists every year. You will go to meet its prestigious religious past, with its thousand-year-old Romanesque church housing the relics of St Guilhem, Charlemagne's first cousin, and a piece of the true cross of Jesus Christ. Stroll along the Way of St Jaques and enjoy its sumptuous landscapes overlooking the village, the Infernet circus, the mountains of St Guilhem, the scrubland flora (juniper, thyme, lavender, rosemary,...). Free time at the end of the day in the village; stop at the famous Pont du Diable which spans the Hérault gorges, one of the oldest medieval bridges in France.

 

PROGRAMME

OPTION 1: CLAMOUSE GROTTO

Visit the famous Clamouse cave, classified as one of the most beautiful. It is a real Ali Baba's cave with the greatest diversity of crystals (aragonite and calcite) in France, a sumptuous illumination of this fragile environment, an original and enchanting show (jumper over and shoes recommended) Discover a secret place hidden until 1945 when the speleo-club team brought this cave to light and enter into the legend of the "Clamouse" which means "howling" in the Occitan regional language. Free time at the Devil's Bridge, the oldest Romanesque bridge in France (1000 years old) World Heritage Site and pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Swimming possible at the river.

OPTION 2: RIVER CANOEING (JUNE TO SEPTEMBER)

Canoe trip (2 or 3 places) in the gorges of the river Hérault (about 1 hour). Very quiet, for beginners. In the heart of nature, the extraordinary landscapes of the Languedoc hinterland will reveal themselves to you. Unsupervised activity. You must be able to swim