Some forty kilometres from Montpellier, the Hérault Valley offers visitors an incredible variety of landscapes, both natural and architectural. You haven't truly seen the valley until you've explored its majestic gorges. Over the ages, water has shaped the rock to create all sorts of cavities, arches and giant's cauldrons, all forming a spectacular canyon in a resolutely wild and unspoilt setting!
Man has also contributed to the beauty of the landscape, notably through the construction of the Devil's Bridge (Pont du Diable), built in the 11th century at the entrance to the gorges. Today it is cobbled with pebbles, as in medieval times, and is a very popular place of passage for pilgrims on the Way of St. James. They stop by Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the main stopovers in the Hérault Valley. Nestling within a narrow valley, this beautiful and charming village is known for its Gellone Abbey, a gem of Languedocian Romanesque art which houses the relics of St. William and the True Cross. An ideal place for a leisurely stroll, the medieval town is sure to win you over with its picturesque lanes dotted with artisans' shops, and its pretty square in the shade of a magnificent century-old plane tree. Nearby, it's well worth spending some time at the Cirque of L'Infernet, a gigantic natural wall formed by tall cliffs.
Lastly, don't forget to visit one of Hérault's most impressive natural sites: the Clamouse Cave, whose impressive concretions make it a truly magical place to be...
If you are going to the Hérault Valley in the summer period, be sure to take a canoe-kayak ride on the river, an ideal way to explore the area from a different angle!
