Minerve, Medieval hilltop village in Hérault, France
The village stands on a limestone plateau at 227 meters elevation, surrounded by deep gorges formed by the Brian and Cesse rivers.
In 1210, Simon de Montfort led a six-week siege against the village, resulting in the surrender of Viscount Guilhem and the execution of 140 Cathars.
The village represents the center of Minervois wine production, with local winemakers maintaining centuries-old vinification techniques in the limestone terrain.
Vehicles belonging to non-residents must park outside the village perimeter, as access to the main bridge remains restricted to local inhabitants.
Natural tunnels carved by the Cesse River flow beneath the village, creating geological formations that traverse the limestone foundation.
Location: Hérault
Location: arrondissement of Béziers
Location: 米内尔瓦—卡鲁市镇公共社区
Elevation above the sea: 340 m
Shares border with: Aigne, Azillanet, Boisset, La Caunette, Cesseras, La Livinière, Siran, Vélieux
Address: 34210 Minerve, France 34210 Minerve
Phone: +33468912292
Email: commune.minerve@orange.fr
Website: https://minerve-occitanie.fr
GPS coordinates: 43.35417,2.74639
Latest update: May 27, 2025 08:46
French medieval locations feature architecture from the 11th to 15th centuries. Fortified walls, castles, churches and stone-paved streets define the historical urban structure. Residents maintain traditional crafts, regional cuisine and local customs. Many of these UNESCO heritage sites document important periods of French history.
The region around Carcassonne features an area marked by medieval and Cathar history, with castles, abbeys, and old villages. The Cité of Carcassonne displays its city walls restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, while the Canal du Midi has traversed the region for 240 kilometers since the 17th century. The castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse overlook the landscape from their rocky spurs at over 700 meters above sea level, serving as the last strongholds of the Cathar resistance in the 13th century. Villages like Minerve and Lagrasse showcase medieval architecture, with narrow streets, ancient bridges, and Benedictine abbeys. The region also includes the four Lastours castles aligned along a ridge, the Saint-Maurice Cathedral in Mirepoix with its 22-meter-wide Gothic nave, and natural sites like Lake Cavayère. These monuments and landscapes form a representative ensemble of the south of France’s historical and natural heritage, accessible from Carcassonne.
Grotte d'Aldène
3.9 km
Dolmen Lo Morrel dos Fados
7.1 km
Stade de l'Aiguille
53.8 km
Beaufort Château
6.2 km
Chapelle Saint-Germain de Cesseras
5.3 km
Église Saint-Étienne de Minerve
49 m
Église Saint-Étienne de Pépieux
8.3 km
Riols
6.1 km
Chapelle seigneuriale sur le Plô
8.2 km
Église Saint-Laurent d'Azillanet
3.3 km
Église Saint-Baudile de Siran
8.4 km
Église Saint-Étienne de La Livinière
11.4 km
Église Saint-Martin de Beaufort
6.3 km
Église de la Nativité-de-Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois
7.8 km
Église Saint-Michel de Boisset
6.3 km
Église Notre-Dame de La Caunette
2.4 km
Église Saint-Martin d'Aigne
4.7 km
Chapelle de Centheilles
8.1 km
Église de l'Invention-de-Saint-Étienne d'Oupia
7.3 km
Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Spasme
9.8 km
Église de l'Assomption-de-Notre-Dame de Cassagnoles
10.7 km
Citadelle de Minerve
12 m
Café Plana
7.9 km
Musée paléontologique et archéologique de Minerve
40 m
Église de l'Assomption-de-Notre-Dame d'Olonzac
7.9 km
Dolmen de la Cigalière
2.9 km
Château de Minerve
110 m
Roc Suzadou
12.4 kmReviews
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