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    • Pouzols-Minervois
    • Local facilities
    • Food & drink
    • The Canigou
  • Days out
    • Béziers
    • Bram
    • Camargue
    • Capestang
    • Carcassonne
    • Castelnaudary
    • Castelnou
    • Étang de Thau
    • Fontfroide Abbey
    • Fortress of Salses
    • Gruissan
    • Lagrasse
    • Lastours
    • Mèze
    • Millau Viaduct
    • Minerve
    • Montolieu
    • Montpellier
    • Narbonne
    • Olargues
    • Oppidum of Ensérune
    • Peyrepertuse
    • Pézenas
    • Pont du Gard
    • Roquebrun
    • Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
    • Saint-Jean-de-Fos
    • Sète
    • Sigean
    • Skydiving in Lézignan-Corbières
    • To the beach
    • Uzès
    • Wine tasting
  • Contact
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Menu
  • About us
  • The house
    • RoomsThe rooms
    • Games roomGames room
    • LeFortPouzols MinervoisRooftop pool
    • Le Fort Pouzols-Minervois 11120Testimonials
  • The village
    • LeFortPouzols MinervoisPouzols-Minervois
    • grains dici pouzols minervoisLocal facilities
    • Cassoulet toulousainFood & drink
    • Le canigou et les vignes de CorbièresThe Canigou
  • Explore
      • Nearby
        • BeziersBéziers
        • Bram, FranceBram
        • Capestang canalCapestang
        • LeFortPouzols MinervoisCarcassonne
        • Canal du MidiCastelnaudary
        • Fontfroide AbbeyFontfroide Abbey
        • Chateau de Salses, French CataloniaFortress of Salses
        • GruissanGruissan
        • Lagrasse, Aude, Occitanie, France.Lagrasse
        • Lastours CastlesLastours
        • The medieval village of Minerve in the Minervois region of Languedoc, FranceMinerve
        • NarbonnenearPouzols MinervoisNarbonne
        • Village d'Olargues, Hérault, Occitanie, FranceOlargues
        • EnseruneOppidum of Ensérune
        • PézenasPézenas
        • Roquebrun, Hérault, FranceRoquebrun
        • Canal Royal et ses barques à Sète, Occitanie, Hérault, FranceSète
      • A bit further
        • CamargueCamargue
        • Castelnou (), un des plus beaux village de FranceCastelnou
        • Étang de ThauÉtang de Thau
        • MèzeMèze
        • Viaduc de MillauMillau Viaduct
        • AviewofthevillageofMontolieuAudeLanguedoc RoussillonFrance.Treesvalleyancienthousesandchurchbelltower.Montolieu
        • Place de la Comédie à Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc en Occitanie, FranceMontpellier
        • Peyrepertuse cathar castle seen from abovePeyrepertuse
        • Saint Jean de FosSaint-Jean-de-Fos
        • Train JauneLe Train Jaune
        • Saint Guilhem le DésertSaint-Guilhem-le-Désert
        • Uzès (phot: Peter Curbishley)Uzès
      • World Heritage Sites
        • canal du midiCanal du Midi
        • LeFortPouzols MinervoisCarcassonne
        • Pont du GardPont du Gard
        • Saint Guilhem le DésertSaint-Guilhem-le-Désert
      • Historic monuments
        • LeFortPouzols MinervoisCarcassonne
        • Fontfroide AbbeyFontfroide Abbey
        • Chateau de Salses, French CataloniaFortress of Salses
        • Lastours CastlesLastours
        • EnseruneOppidum of Ensérune
        • Peyrepertuse cathar castle seen from abovePeyrepertuse
        • Pont du GardPont du Gard
        • Saint Guilhem le DésertSaint-Guilhem-le-Désert
      • Cathar country
        • BeziersBéziers
        • Bram, FranceBram
        • LeFortPouzols MinervoisCarcassonne
        • Lastours CastlesLastours
        • The medieval village of Minerve in the Minervois region of Languedoc, FranceMinerve
        • Peyrepertuse cathar castle seen from abovePeyrepertuse
      • Areas and attractions
        • CamargueCamargue
        • canal du midiCanal du Midi
        • Étang de ThauÉtang de Thau
        • Viaduc de MillauMillau Viaduct
        • Valras PlageTo the beach
      • Activities
        • Flyzone skydivingSkydiving
        • vineyards languedocWine tasting
  • Reservations
  • Contact

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

France's second favourite village

Overpopulation

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is one of 158 “most beautiful villages of France” (Plus Beaux Villages de France).

The “desert” in the name of the village may refer to a time when overgrazing and overpopulation led to a lack of vegetation. What remained was used for lifestock feed or heating. This situation did not end until early in the 20th century, when enough people left the area to enable vegetation to recover.

Abbey

The count of Toulouse and duke of Aquitaine, Guillaume de Gellone (Guilhèm in the local Langue d’Oc, nicknamed the Great), founded an abbey in a remote area of the Hérault valley in 804. He became a saint in 1066, when the abbey was named after him.

Sections of the abbey were sold and can now be seen in The Cloisters, part of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. What remains is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village was voted second favourite village in France in 2012.

Visiting Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

Le Fort Pouzols-Minervois to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a 90-minute drive (63 miles, 102 km). A visit can be combined with, for example, Montpellier, Pézenas, Béziers or Sète.

The Devil’s Bridge, also known as Pont de Saint Guilhem, is part of the legend surrounding Saint Guilhem. In the summer concerts and a medieval festival are held in the village. For more information, visit www.saintguilhem-valleeherault.fr.

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  • Contact us

    Le Fort Pouzols-Minervois
    11 Rue du Fort
    11120 Pouzols-Minervois
    Aude
    France

    Telephone +33 (0)9 77 21 84 62
    info@le-fort-pouzols-minervois.fr
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