Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Medieval village in Hérault Valley, France
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert sits at the intersection of the Gellone and Hérault rivers, featuring stone houses with tiled roofs along narrow winding streets.
The Abbey of Gellone, established in 804 by Guillaume d'Aquitaine, became a major pilgrimage center after receiving a fragment of the True Cross.
The village maintains its medieval architecture, with the central Place de la Liberté hosting traditional stone buildings and a 150-year-old plane tree.
Visitors can explore the village through guided tours from the tourist office, located in the former Church of Saint-Laurent near the entrance.
Parts of the original abbey cloister were transferred during the French Revolution and are now displayed at The Cloisters museum in New York.
Location: Hérault
Location: arrondissement of Lodève
Location: Hérault Valley community of communes
Elevation above the sea: 415 m
Shares border with: Aniane, Causse-de-la-Selle, Montpeyroux, Pégairolles-de-Buèges, Puéchabon, Saint-Jean-de-Fos, Saint-Maurice-Navacelles, La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries
Address: 2 Pl. de la Liberté, 34150 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, France 34150 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Phone: +33467577017
Email: mairie-st-guilhem@orange.fr
Website: https://saint-guilhem-le-desert.com
GPS coordinates: 43.73389,3.54972
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:29
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.
Occitanie encompasses an architectural and natural heritage that reflects many centuries of history. Medieval villages are nestled in valleys and on heights, while castles and monasteries tell of the era of the Cathars and religious orders. The region also features remarkable geological formations: deep gorges, waterfalls, potholes, and caves decorated with prehistoric paintings. Among the sites to visit, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie overlooks the Lot Valley with its stone houses and narrow streets. The Peyrepertuse fortress stands at 800 meters above sea level on a rocky spur in the Corbières. The Navacelles cirque reveals a canyon carved by the Vis River, while the Gorges de la Jonte provide trails through a habitat for vultures. The Lagrasse Abbey maintains its medieval architecture on the banks of the Orbieu, and the Niaux Cave houses Magdalenian paintings dating back 14,000 years. Natural curiosities like the Gouffre de l'Oeil Doux and the intermittent Fountain of Fontestorbes complete this territory where history and geology meet.
Pont du Diable, Hérault
3 km
Grotte de Clamouse
2.7 km
Mont Saint-Baudille
5.2 km
Gorges de l'Hérault
2.9 km
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Abbey
74 m
Château du Géant
224 m
Castellas de Montpeyroux
4.5 km
Pipe organ in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert abbey church
33 m
Église Saint-Sylvestre-des-Brousses
4.1 km
Menhir du Lacam des Lavagnes
5 km
Église Saint-Laurent de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
329 m
Belvédère du Berger
786 m
Baume Cellier
3 km
Aven de la Combe du Bouis
4.2 km
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Belle-Grâce de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
2.3 km
Puechabon
4.9 km
St Guillhem-Le-Désert
4.2 km
Bastide de Reynes
3.7 km
Saint-Jean-de-Fos war memorial
3.6 km
Musée de l'Abbaye de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
23 m
Menhir de la Mare des Lavagnes
4.6 km
Altar of Saint-Guilhem, Gellone abbey
9 m
Église de la Nativité-de-Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Jean-de-Fos
3.6 km
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 12th century house
24 m
Chapelle des Pénitents, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
30 m
Abbatiale de la Transfiguration-du-Seigneur-et-Saint-Guilhem de l'abbaye dite de Gellone de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
30 m
Tour des Prisons
191 m
Moulin de l'abbaye de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
803 mReviews
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A simply magical village to discover at the pace of hiking!
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