Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
One of France's most beautiful villages, a medieval stone village in a gorge, home to the UNESCO-listed Gellone Abbey on the Camino de Santiago.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is tucked into a gorge on a tributary of the Hérault River. Its stone houses stack up along a stream. The core of the village is Gellone Abbey, founded in the 9th century and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Camino de Santiago route. Its Romanesque church is free to visit, and the remaining parts of the cloister have been moved to The Cloisters museum in New York. Cars are not allowed in the village, so you need to park in the lot outside and walk in. It is about 45 km from Montpellier and can be combined with the Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge) and the Clamouse Caves.
Opening hours
Open all day (monastery about 08:00–18:30)
Nearby sights
- Grotte de Clamouse
- Pont du Diable (Hérault)
- Cirque de Navacelles
- Lac du Salagou
- Grotte des Demoiselles
- Pic Saint-Loup
- Pézenas
- Étang de Thau & Bouzigues