independent - Hérault Tourisme Pro

THE
Hérault
INDEPENDENT
in Languedoc
Saturday 24 April 2010
independent.co.uk/herault
Fine vintage
The wine capital of France
In association with
II HERAULT
SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010 THE INDEPENDENT
HERAULT III
THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010
Wine heritage
Travel essentials
A feast
for the
senses
Vine life: wine is
central to the
Hérault culture
F
COEUR
D’HERAULT
HAUT
LANGUEDOC
Bédarieux
St-Pons
de-Thomières
VIGNOBLES
Olonzac
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY. RIGHT: CIDH QUALITE HERAULT
Capestang
A U D E
PAYS DE
BEZIERS
CEVENNES
PIC ST-LOUP
Lunel
Montpellier
Palavas
les-Flots
PAYS DE THAU ET
PAYS DE PEZENAS
Sète
Le Cap d’Agde
La Grande
Motte
MONTPELLIER
PETITE
CAMARGUE
Golfe
du Lion
Mediterranean Sea
0
20
MILES
Getting there
With its unspoilt sandy coast, its
tranquil green interior and its dramatic highlands, Hérault in
Languedoc offers a remarkable
range of landscapes and activities.
And thanks to the introduction of
low-cost flights, the region has become increasingly accessible from
the UK over the past few years.
Montpellier, capital of the
Languedoc, is the main hub in the
east; while Béziers and Cap d’Agde
provides excellent links in the west.
is about to take shape and is
scheduled to open in 2012.
Meanwhile, the small Muscat
grape, which creates the golden,
sweet wine of the same name,
thrives both in the Lunel area and
further south-west, around the
bustling coastal town of Frontignan. Producers of the Muscat de
Frontignan appellation include
Château de Stony, owned for five
generations by the Nodet family.
There is a bucolic atmosphere
around the old stone farmhouse
here, with the Muscat vines growing almost up to the front door.
These are hand picked, usually in
mid August, and crushed slowly
to retain depth of flavour – honey
with hints of marmalade. Like
several other Frontignan winemakers responding to changing
tastes in styles and strength of
wines, the Nodets have started
producing a dry Muscat while, a
first for the area, they are also developing some red wine.
Further inland, you can taste a
particularly elegant range of reds
while taking in a splendid 14thcentury castle. Château de
Perdiguier, owned by three
Where to... drink it all in
Open by appointment only.
n Château de Perdiguier,
34370 Maraussan
(00 33 4 67 90 37 44;
domaineperdiguier.com).
Tasting room open daily but
it is best to call in advance.
n Domaine d’Emile et Rose,
Chemin des Tanes, 34400
Corneilhan, nr Béziers
(00 33 4 67 30 35 02;
domaine1000roses.fr).
Open 11am-7pm Monday
to Saturday.
Clermont
l’Hérault
H E R A U LT
Béziers
St-Mathieu
de Tréviers
Gignac
St-Chinian Pézenas
the grapes, which imbues the
final product with a subtly distinctive taste.
Among those producers welcoming the public to tastings is
Mas de Theyron, just north of the
town, where a handsome 18thcentury manor house presides
over a 30-hectare estate that produces organic wine. The property
and land was bought in a semiderelict state in 1996 by Swiss
wine trader Rolf Reichmuth and
his restoration of both the house
and the vineyard has been
painstaking. Two reds are made
under the Coteaux du Languedoc
appellation (a combination of
Grenache, Syrah and Carignan
with a small amount of Cinsault in
one). An elegant red vin de pays is
Set near the sea at the eastern made mainly with Merlot while a
edge of Hérault in Languedoc is
well-rounded white contains a
an as yet little-known wine haven, mix of seven varieties of grape.
with commerce radiating from
Lunel wines and wine tourism
the eponymous small town of
will undoubtedly be put on the
Lunel. The district’s local winemap over the next few years: at
makers say the coastal wind here the village of St Christol nearby, a
has a special effect on the sugar in large state-of-the-art wine centre
Where to taste
n Mas de Theyron, Route de
St Christol, 34160 Boisseron,
nr Lunel (00 33 4 67 86 48
48; masdetheyron.com).
Open daily except Sunday
but visitors are advised to
call in advance; a small fee
may be charged for
tasting sessions
n Château de Stony, LaPeyrade, 34110 Frontignan
(00 33 4 67 18 80 30;
chateaustony@orange.fr).
Lodève
T A R N
quality, the commitment and enthusiasm of the province’s wine
producers have latterly resulted
in a quiet revolution of wonderful
tastes. This is perhaps especially
the case in the Hérault region
where the terrain encompasses
coast, lush river valleys and the
highlands of the Haut-Languedoc.
All of which is reflected in a striking variety of styles and flavours.
“The coastal wind
imbues the wine
with a subtly
distinctive taste”
Ganges
ALAMY
Hérault’s rich and vibrant landscape is reflected
in the flavour of its wines. By Harriet O’Brien
rom coast to mountains,
you are rarely far from a
vineyard in LanguedocRoussillon. Neat rows of
vines hug the hills, adding
a magical dimension to the rolling
plains – here and there along the
coast they seem poised to tumble
into the sea. Wine is far more
than the principal product here.
It is redolent of the history, culture, landscape, sunshine and, indeed, the very air of the province.
It was the Greeks and Phoenicians who brought vines to the
coastal area and produced the
first wines here, a practice continued by the Romans. Fast-forward
to the 17th century and, with the
opening of the Canal du Midi,
wine was a major export. Yet it
was with the coming of the railways in the 19th century that the
wine trade really flourished and
became particularly big business.
Production boomed, making the
region France’s biggest wine producer – and so it remains today.
Yet where quantity once eroded
G A R D
AVEYRON
FRANCE
generations of the Feracci family,
lies just outside the village of Maraussan near the ancient market
town of Béziers. Complete with
rounded towers and a lovely
cobbled courtyard, it oozes atmosphere while the surrounding
estate produces grain crops and
commercially grown walnuts, as
well as grapes, of course: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and
a small amount of Chardonnay.
There is more rural charm
nearby at Domaine d’Emile et
Rose, a small organic farm run by
the Gisclard family just beyond
the village of Corneilhan. You get
a happy sense of the bounty of the
land here, with crops of asparagus, tomatoes – and grapes. Many
of the vines were planted just
after the First World War and
among them are the rare Carignan Blanc variety, which makes a
wonderful and complex white.
For a complete contrast head
north to the hills of the Faugères
district. The schist soil here is remarkable for its capacity to retain
water and heat, and the grapes
grown on it are full of strong,
brooding flavour. Vineyards
stretch between the seven picturesque villages of the region (Autignac, Cabrerolles, Fos, Laurens,
Caussiniojouls, Roquessels and
Faugères itself) and are best
known for their reds, a combination of Carignan, Grenache,
Syrah and Mourvedre – although
since 2005 Faugères white wine
has also had its own appellation.
The 46 independent winemakers
welcome visitors, while on the
outskirts of Faugères village, the
co-operative of the smaller growers offers a fine range of wines to
taste – and buy.
Flavours to savour... Gastronomicom in Cap d’Agde
n Caveau Les Crus
Faugères, Route de
Bédarieux, 34600 Faugères
(00 33 4 67 95 35 39;
les-crus-faugeres.fr ).
For a list of the district’s
independent wine producers
visit faugeres.com
Where to stay
n Château Hermitage de
Combas, Route d’Alignan
du Vent, 34290 Servian
(00 33 4 67 39 90 90;
charming-chateau.com). Set
among vines, this is a comfyyet-chic apartment hotel in a
château so wonderfully rambling that you can easily get
lost in the estate. Facilities
include tennis and swimming pool. Apartments for
two from €590 per week,
without breakfast.
n Le Mas de l’Olivier, Rue
du Laurier-tin, 34400
Vérargues, nr Lunel
(00 33 6 43 11 33 62;
lemasdelolivier.fr). A charming bed and breakfast with a
separate cottage to rent.
Doubles start from €80 per
night which includes breakfast. Special wine harvest
packages are available, with
doubles from €1,100, including breakfast and dinner, for
seven nights, with guests
joining the harvest at the
small yet highly rated Terre
Inconnue vineyard nearby.
What is the secret of creating the
perfect bouillabaisse? How do you
cook with flowers? What is the optimum way of tasting wine? You can
find out the answers to all these
questions and more at a gastronomic school set near the sea at the lively resort town of Cap d’Agde.
Gastronomicom is an academy primarily running diploma courses for
budding professional chefs who
then complete their culinary training in leading French restaurants.
During weekends and over the
summer months, it now also offers
classes to the visiting public.
Three-hour cookery sessions are
taken by chef Iman Bogen – who has
the knack of speaking French and
English almost simultaneously and
will smoothly guide you through the
complexities of making amusebouches or the delights of cooking
sea bream, among many other options. Meanwhile, wine-tasting
mornings offer the opportunity to
sample some of the region’s best
produce. And if you’d like an
intriguingly healthy alternative, you
can even join afternoon sophrology
wine sessions in which wine tasting
is used as a means of boosting
health by enlivening your senses.
n Gastronomicom, 1 Ave des
Soldats, 34300 Cap d’Agde (00 33 9
79 02 07 20; gastronomicom.fr)
Cookery courses from €85; wine
classes from €55 – details are not
yet available on the website but can
be obtained on request.
n Cap d’Agde Tourist Office (00 33
4 67 01 04 04; en.capdagde.com)
Air
Béziers-Cap d’Agde airport (00 33 4
67 80 99 09; beziers.aeroport.fr) is
ideally located for very easy access
to both the coast and the mountains of the Haut-Languedoc. What’s
more, this is a small, rural airport so
you may well feel you’re on holiday
even as you step off the plane. From
the UK, it is served by Ryanair (0871
246 000; ryanair.com) from Luton
and Bristol.
Montpellier’s Méditerranée airport (00 33 4 67 20 85 00; montpellier.aeroport.fr) is well positioned
for access to the eastern parts of
the district. From the UK, it is
served by Ryanair from Leeds
Bradford and by easyJet (0871 244
2366; easyjet.com) from Gatwick.
Other international arrival points
include Marseille, Nîmes and
Perpignan from which there are
good rail and road connections.
Road
From the town of Orange, the A9
motorway runs from the north-east
to the south-west, linking
Montpellier and Béziers and allowing quick access to the coast. If
you’re arriving from the Channel
ports, however, the most scenic approach to Hérault in Languedoc is
along the A75 motorway that runs
through the Massif Central; Dieppe
and Le Havre are particularly well
placed for avoiding the congestion
around Paris.
Getting around
Rail services run from Montpellier
to Frontignan, Sète, Agde, Vias,
Rail
Béziers, Bédarieux and Lunel. There
Access from Paris Gare du Lyon is
are 68 local bus lines in the region:
quick, thanks to services via Lyon
consult Hérault Transport (00 33
and Nîmes. The service from Paris
825 34 01 34; herault-transport.fr)
to Montpellier’s Saint-Roch station
for more details.
takes around three hours and 15
From the sea to the mountains, a
minutes. An onward service to
car offers the most convenient
Béziers is offered, with around six
means of exploring this varied redirect trains a day, the full trip from gion. Car-rental options available
Paris lasts just over four hours.
from Béziers-Cap d’Agde airport
Fast trains also call at Sète and
include Hertz (08708 44 88 44;
Agde. Return tickets from London
hertz.com/uk) which has a rate of
St Pancras can be arranged through £310 for a week. For route planning
Eurostar (08705 186 186;
visit quelleroute.com
eurostar.com) to stations in Hérault
from £101. From 10 July to 11
More information
September, a summer service of di- Hérault in Languedoc, Maison du
rect trains operates between St
Tourisme, Avenue des Moulins,
Pancras and Avignon-Centre, with
34184 Montpellier Cedex 4 (00 33 4
easy connections to Hérault.
67 67 71 71; languedoc.com).
IV HERAULT
SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010 THE INDEPENDENT
HERAULT V
THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010
Pays de Thau
Make a splash on a shimmering shore
Hérault’s impressive Etang de
Thau is a lagoon unlike any
other, says Henry Palmer
OLIVIER MAYNARD
which oysters in this area are
marketed. The absorbing afternoon tour culminates with a tasting, accompanied by a glass of the
local Picpoul de Pinet white wine,
which is a particularly good
match with seafood.
By the lovely old harbour of
Marseillan you’ll learn how the lagoon environment is also integral
to Noilly Prat, which has been
produced here for more than 160
years. The vermouth is made with
two types of white wine that are
matured indoors for eight months
and then left in barrels outside for
a year, exposed to the wind, sun
and salty air. Subsequently, the
wines are blended and infused
with herbs, the combination of
which remains secret. A tour
through this attractive old winery
ends with a tasting of the original
clear aperitif – the slightly sweeter red vermouth or amber Noilly
Prat that is available only from
the Marseillan headquarters.
For a complete change of pace,
head to the beaches. The Marseillan Plage resort is several
kilometres south. Stretching east
beyond it lies the narrow bank of
the lagoon, which is fringed with
more sandy shores.
At the far eastern end the lively
little town of Sète is set at the foot
of Mont St Clair. It was purposebuilt as a port in the 17th century,
and its elegant town buildings are
laid out along a series of canals –
so you may feel as if you’ve
reached a French version of
Venice here. Wander the canals of
the centre to take in the bustling
atmosphere of the water traffic
and to see fishing boats coming
and going, trailed by seagulls.
Take a cruise around town or into
the lagoon then, for an extensive
panorama, make your way to the
PHOTOLIBRARY.COM
Cruises are available
around Sète and the lagoon
with Circuit Canaux et Etangs
(00 33 4 67 74 35 30) and
Sète Croisières (00 33 4 67 46
00 46; sete-croisieres.com),
which has boats with viewing
galleries below the surface.
n More information on the
area can be found at the
tourist offices at Marseillan
Plage (00 33 4 67 21 82 43;
marseillan.com), Sète (00 33
4 99 04 71 71; tourismesete.com), Frontignan (00 33
4 67 18 31.60; tourismefrontignan.com) and
Balaruc-les-Bains (00 33 4
67 46 81 46; balarucles-bains.com).
n
Where to eat
Le Poisson Rouge,
32 Rue Paul Riquet, 34110
Frontignan (00 33 4 99 04
05 53; lepoissonrouge34.fr).
The menu of this bright new
restaurant emphasises
seafood, but other local fare,
such as roast lamb, is excellent too. The setting, right on
the seafront, is stunning.
n Terre et Mer, 28 promenade JB Marty, Place du Cap
St Louis, 34200 Sète (00 33
4 67 74 49 43; restaurantterreetmer.com). An intimate and good-value
restaurant serving beautifully presented cuisine based
on local ingredients.
n
Where to stay
n Port Rive Gauche, Rue
des Pêcheurs, Marseillan
Port, 34340 Marseillan (00
33 4 67 11 87 15; garrigae
resorts.com). A chic aparthotel with a sleek spa. The 11
apartments have terraces
with great views. Doubles
from €175 without breakfast.
n Grand Hôtel Sète,
17 Quai de Tassigny, 34200
Sète (00 33 4 67 74 71 77;
legrandhotelsete.com). This
elegant Belle Époque building in the heart of town has
43 comfortable rooms.
Doubles from €75 breakfast
not included.
n Hôtel Mercure SèteBalaruc-les-Bains, Ave des
Hespérides, 34540 Balarucles-Bains (00 33 4 67 51 79
79; mercure.com). Newly
renovated, this 86-room
hotel has a swimming pool
and courtyard restaurant
and is close to the new
O’balia spa. Doubles from
€70 without breakfast.
top of Mont St Clair (it’s a short
drive or a steep walk up more
than 400 steps from the heart of
town). From this vantage point
you variously gaze over the sea,
the terracotta roofs of town and
the oyster farms of the lagoon.
Sète is an engaging world unto
itself. About one third of the residents are descendants of Italian
settlers (from Naples, in fact,
rather than Venice) and this is reflected in the cuisine: try a tielle, a
sort of pasta pie with a picquant
squid-and-tomato filling, or
macaronade, which is a local version of pasta with meatballs.
This spirited town is also
renowned for the tradition of
water jousting – a striking spectacle and a serious sport in which
contestants attempt to knock
each other off long platforms extending from boats. Tournaments
take place in the summer on the
Canal Royal. Indeed, there’s a
party atmosphere during much of
the summer, with a number of festivals held around town – among
them are celebrations of photography in May; French song in
June; jazz in July; and world
music in August.
By contrast, a few kilometres
north of Sète you reach the spa
town of Balaruc–les-Bains. It was
the Romans who first started
using the warm thermal springs
here for the curative treatments
and therapeutic sessions, and
today the town is the third largest
spa resort in France. The mineral
mud treatments here are said to
be particularly effective against
rheumatism and arthritis. The
town also offers plenty of activities, from tennis to sailing, beach
volley ball and pétanque. Meanwhile, visit the picturesque adjoining village of Balaruc-leVieux, an ancient medieval settlement that still retains its circular
defensive walls.
Just west, there’s a happy mix
of inland nature, seaside sport
and historic charm around the
market town of Frontignan. Set
on the Peyrade and Ingril lagoons,
which adjoin the Etang de Thau
by way of the Canal du Rhône à
Sète, Frontignan in many respects offers the best of all
worlds. Its medieval heart centres on a lovely 12th-century
church while its lagoon shores
present 7km of golden beaches.
There are four well-equipped
campsites here and a bustling
marina. Meanwhile, on the other
side of the waters stretch the
tranquil parkland and vineyards
of the Gardiole hills.
VILLE DE FRONTIGNAN
“You may feel as if
you have reached a
French version of
Venice here”
Travel essentials Bay to remember
What to do and see
n La Grande Bleue Oyster
and Mussel Farm, Mas 778,
Lieu-dit la Fadeze, 34340
Marseillan (00 33 4 67 53 14
91; conchyliculture.com).
Guided visits around the
farm are available on
Tuesdays and Thursdays at
4pm, €6 including a tasting
of mussels and oysters and a
glass of white wine.
n Noilly Prat, 1 Rue Noilly,
34340 Marseillan (00 33 4
67 77 75 19; noillyprat.com).
Guided visits March to
November daily between
10am-11am and 2.304.30pm (and until 7pm in
the summer); adults €3.50.
Get active
Family
attractions
Sunshine and sea air are, of
course, a compelling combination. Yet quite apart from these
key elements, the Étang de Thau
presents an extensive range of
summer activities for families.
With its shallow and well-protected waters, Balaruc-les-Bains is a
wonderfully safe haven for children. The Centre Nautique
Manureva (00 33 4 67 48 55 63)
offers windsurfing, kayaking, sailing lessons and even a sea kindergarten for children aged six to
eight. There are bikes to hire from
Relaxation and wellbeing
Balaruc-les-Bains has a wellearned and well-established reputation for the therapeutic cures and
preventative complementary care
packages that are provided by its
two big thermal spa institutes. Next
month a state-of-the-art wellness
centre opens here. It will be the
first of its kind along the
Mediterranean coast.
In contrast to the curative treatments already offered, the new
centre will concentrate on relaxation and wellbeing. O’balia is a
O,BALIA
T
here’s a kaleidoscope of
life and cultures around
the Etang de Thau.
About 21km long and
8km wide, this shimmering stretch of water is one of the
largest lagoons on the Mediterranean shores. The area is variously a haven of great seafood,
safe adventure, serious health
treatments, charming villages
and wonderfully colourful traditions. Of course, given that this is
the Languedoc region, there
are plenty of very productive
vineyards, too.
At the western end of the lagoon, you can literally get a taste
of the area, for here you can visit
an oyster farm and also sample
the famous Noilly Prat vermouth.
Just outside the sleepy village
of Marseillan, Stéphane Saez
runs La Grande Bleue oyster
farm – which you approach
through vineyards that seem to
be planted into the lagoon itself.
Stéphane explains to visitors that
because the Canal du Midi empties into the lagoon nearby, there
is a special quality of part-fresh,
part-salty water that is richly
beneficial for growing oysters.
These are complex creatures to
farm: they are grown on strings;
they change sex every year; and
the water quality is tightly controlled in order to meet the strict
requirements of the renowned
AOC Bouzigues label, under
Water world: Sète
is built on a
network of canals
chic and extensive day spa with
wellness treatments and facilities
based around the warm water from
the town’s natural thermal springs.
Its central, outdoor features
range from a large thermal pool
with geyser and hydromassage
benches to an onsen, a Japanesestyle pool complete with waterfall.
Here, thanks to the very latest in
sound technology, you can relax to
underwater music. Other facilities
include a caldarium steam room
with chromatherapy lighting and
aromatherapy effects. Meanwhile
treatments extend from wraps,
footbaths and facials to a range of
“Les Balades” massages lasting
around four hours. The complex is
set in dreamy gardens overlooking
the Etang de Thau.
O’balia, Allée des Sources, 34540
Balaruc-les-Bains (00 33 4 67 18
52 05; obalia.fr). General admission is €15 (€10 for children), but
prices for many of the treatments include the entrance fee.
Vélo Attitude on Avenue de la
Gare (00 33 6 26 34 59 12), and a
mini golf course on Rue du
Camping (00 33 4 67 78 91 67).
Should outdoor action pall there’s
a little train on which to tour the
town (Le Petit Train de Balaruc:
00 33 6 09 51 79 03) and a charmingly retro sweet manufacturer to
visit: La Cure Gourmande set in
the town’s former railway station
(00 33 4 67 80 01 72).
Meanwhile, Frontignan offers
sailing lessons at its Centre
Nautique Municipal (00 33 4 99
04 91 72), and scuba diving,
snorkelling and underwater discovery trails with Plongée
Passion (00 33 4 67 18 40 80;
plongee-passion.com) as well as
the Centre Nautique. The tourist
office (see travel essentials left
for contacts) arranges walks
among flamingos and more in the
salt marshes and along the coast.
There are bikes to hire from Terre
et Mer Aventures (00 33 4 67 18
88 18; terreetmeraventures.com)
and pony rides with Ecurie
Jaumard (00 33 6 14 82 28 44;
ecuriejaumard.com) and Happy
Parc (00 33 6 62 21 39 36).
VI HERAULT
SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010 THE INDEPENDENT
Montpellier
HERAULT VII
THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010
Pézenas
The forever
youthful
metropolis
Main attraction:
Place de la Comédie
OT MONTPELLIER-CECIL MATHIEU
Montpellier marries modern architecture with medieval
foundations to create a zesty offering. By Emily Reynolds
M
ontpellier exudes
zest and energy. Its
residents will proudly tell you this is a
wonderfully youthful
place. They’ll point out that more
than half the population is less
than 25 years old and the university contributes a very spirited
buzz. Then they’ll add with a big,
ironic smile that the city itself is
young – “only” 10 centuries old.
Founded in the eighth century,
Montpellier is indeed young when
compared to other nearby settlements in southern France, such
as Roman Arles, Nîmes and
Béziers. And that’s a distinction
it enjoys.
Today, Montpellier is one of the
fastest-growing metropolitan
centres in France. In the past few
decades, striking new districts of
bold architecture have been developed around its medieval interior. And the work is continues
apace – this is a city on the move.
Indeed, the very centre itself is
moving, with a new city hall currently under construction in the
Port Marianne neighbourhood,
an area that will link the historic
core with the newly developing
Street scene: the town’s unspoilt architecture
districts. Dramatically set in a
bed of water, the city hall has been
designed by the renowned
French architect Jean Nouvel –
whose previous works include the
remarkable Torre Agbar in
Barcelona. It is scheduled to be
completed in 2011.
You get a good view of the building, and the Port Marianne area,
from the blue-line tram travelling
east from the ancient centre.
Trams were reintroduced to
Montpellier in 2000, the first was
such a success that a second
opened in 2006 and is now known
locally as the “flower-power line”
on account of the retro flower design covering the carriages. A
third line is currently being developed and is scheduled for completion in 2012. At 22.3km long, it will
be the most extensive tram line in
France – and it will be the most
glamorous too, since the mastermind behind the new trams’
styling is Christian Lacroix.
The blue tram links the centre
with two significant new neighbourhoods. Antigone, abutting
the old town to the east, looks a
bit like a Renaissance model city –
only given a contemporary twist
with an Olympic-sized pool and
more. Designed by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, it gradually
took shape between 1978 and
2000. Meanwhile, Odysseum,
lying at the end of the tram line
further east, is one of the newest
of Montpellier’s districts. You feel
as though you have strayed into
Miami when you arrive at this
bright entertainment and shopping complex, complete with
palm trees, hi-tech lighting, piped
music and the sculpted style of
the buildings. The entertainment
area opened four years ago and
offers a host of activities for families, from a state-of-the-art aquarium to a planetarium and a large
bowling alley. The adjoining shopping mall was grandly unveiled
last September and contains a
good dozen restaurants and more
than 90 stores – including Apple,
Tommy Hilfiger, Esprit and more.
But for all the new and newly
emerging attractions in Montpellier, the city’s small old town, now
largely car-free, remains a treat to
explore. It is a pleasure to get lost
in its maze of narrow lanes, which
are lined with enticing little boutiques. And as you wander this
Lose yourself in a town
with one foot in the past
Step into the time of Molière and his troupe of entertainers
with a walking tour that soaks up the spirit of the 18th century
absorbing area you realise that
the spirit of enterprise is actually
nothing new in Montpellier. The
tiny streets of the old town may
date back to medieval days, but
they have been updated and gently amended over time and it is
something of a treasure hunt to
spot the details of different
periods. Take, for example, one
street: Grand Rue Jean Moulin.
Look through the window of the
fashion store Somewhere, at
number 8, to see some original
Gothic ceiling vaulting. Then
pause by the facades of two lovely
17th-century townhouses at numbers 11 and 18. But most resonant
Travel essentials Montpellier
Good night: Trois Grâces in Place
de la Comédie CECIL MATHIEU
What to see
n Musée Fabre, 39 Boulevard
Bonne Nouvelle (00 33 4 67 14 83
00; museefabre.fr). Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday, Sunday 10am-6pm;
Wednesday 1-9pm; Saturday 11-6pm.
Adults €6
n Les Ateliers des Métiers d’Art,
53 Bonnes Nouvelles (00 33 6 09 54
21 58). Open every afternoon from
Tuesday to Saturday
n More information about the
other sights is available from the
local tourist office (00 33 4 67 60 60
60; ot-montpellier.fr). You can also
plan your stay and book it with the
Montpellier Tourist Office’s
online reservation service
(resamontpellier.com). Online bookings are also available for guided
tours, city card and various
leisure activities.
Where to eat
L’Insensé, Musée Fabre, 39
Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle (00 33 4
67 58 97 78; jardindessens.com).
This offshoot of the Pourcel
brother’s famous Jardin des Sens
has a menu very much based on
local produce. It offers lunchtime
snacks as well as gourmet fare
(closed Mondays and Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday evenings).
n
HOTEL DE PEYRAT - LA PROD EST DANS LE PRE - GIL LEFAUCONNIER
Le Tamarillos, 2 Place du Marché
aux Fleurs (00 33 4 67 60 06 00;
tamarillos.biz). Chef Philippe Chapon
creates strikingly pretty dishes
based on fruits and flowers – langoustine served with strawberry
juice, risotto garnished with pansies
(open daily).
n Suite Hôtel, 45 Avenue du
Pirée (00 33 4 67 20 57 57;
suitehotel.com). With 139 bright
and spacious suites, this modern
hotel is a recent, modestly-priced
addition to Montpellier and is conveniently located along the eastern
edge of the Antigone district.
Double rooms start from €95,
Where to stay
including breakfast.
n Baudon de Mauny Chambres
n Hôtel du Palais, 3 Rue du Palais
d’Hôtes, 1 rue de la Carbonnerie (00 (00 33 4 67 60 47 38; hotel
33 4 67 02 21 77; baudonde
dupalais-montpellier.fr). Located in
mauny.com). A charming and beauti- the old part of town, this pretty
fully presented boutique outfit in the two-star guesthouse has 26 cosy
heart of the old town. Doubles from rooms available. Doubles start from
€160 without breakfast.
€72, without breakfast.
n
With its streets of honeycoloured stone, elegant houses
adorned with wrought-iron balconies, and wonderful blend of
architecture – from Gothic to
gracious 18th-century properties – Pézenas is one of the quiet
glories of southern France.
of Montpellier’s resourceful spir- even, in one painting, portrayed
Once the capital of Languedoc,
it, is the grand Hôtel Saint-Côme as Christ. More recently, the con- it still exudes a sense of
at number 32, now housing the
temporary artist Pierre Soulages grandeur and artistic flourish.
city’s chamber of commerce. It
variously gave and lent 40 of his
This beautiful small town
was built in the 1750s as an ampaintings, big bold works that
lost claim to political power in
phitheatre for the College of Sur- play on colour, light and texture.
the late 17th century – the last
geons, one of the first of its kind,
In February, another donation
parliamentary session here
with funds donated by the famous was unveiled by the Musée Fabre. was in 1692. Yet, over the next
barber-surgeon François Gigot de Just down the road from the mu- 100 or so years, it continued to
Lapeyronie who was born in
seum’s main building, the magnifi- thrive as a trading centre. Visit
Montpellier and started practiscent 19th-century Hôtel de
the extensive market held each
ing as a surgeon at the age of 17.
Cabrières-Sabatier d’Espeyran
Saturday and you tap in to that
Meanwhile, the city’s most cele- has been transformed into a
colourful, mercantile tradition.
brated bequest is the fabulous
showcase of decorative arts. The In the 19th century, Pézenas
Musée Fabre, founded by Montfirst floor displays an amazing
was bypassed by the railways
pellier artist Francois-Xavier
range of glittering décor from the and it became something of a
Fabre in 1825. Set on the eastern
1800s, while the storey above con- backwater. Happily, though, it
edge of the old town, it reopened
tains wonderful collections of fur- means the town escaped develin 2007 after a four-year period of niture and tapestries from the
opment in the 1800s and that its
renovation. Here you not only see 18th-century onwards.
striking heritage has been
Fabre’s own collection of Flemish,
You can get a modern take on
splendidly well preserved.
Dutch and French works, but also the decorative arts at another
It was in Pézenas’s 17th-centhe considerable donations of oth- new venture nearby. Les Ateliers tury heyday that its most faers. A large group of later 19thdes Métiers d’Art are a collection mous visitor came to town – and
century paintings was given by
of eight craftsmen’s workshops
returned often. Between 1646
the wealthy collector Alfred
that also opened in February this and 1658, Jean-Baptiste PoBruyas, works by Delacroix,
year. During the afternoons you
quelin, better known by his
Courbet and more. Bruyas comcan watch potters, stained-glass
stage name of Molière, toured
missioned many portraits of him- makers, carpenters and more at
southern France with his
self and, as you wander through
work – and while you’re here you troupe of actors. In the 1650s,
the collection, it becomes somecan’t help but tune in to the indus- he acquired the patronage of
thing of a game to spot him –
trious flare of Montpellier.
the governor of Languedoc, the
Prince of Conti, and performed
often at his court in Pézenas.
Stop for a coffee outside one
of the cafes in Place Gambetta
at the heart of the charming
medieval old town and you’re
very much in Molière territory.
Details of his life are sketchy
but he was known to be friends
with the town barber, whose
salon on the square would have
been a hive of gossip – Maison
du Barbier Gely on Place Gambetta is now a small museum
dedicated to another local hero,
entertainer Boby Lapointe.
Continue to the “new” district of town, developed in the
17th and 18th centuries – it
Essentials
n Scénovision Molière
(00 33 4 67 98 35 39; scenovision
moliere.com) is in the tourist
office (see below) and opens
daily from 9am-6pm Monday
to Saturday and from 10am on
Sunday, with a break for lunch.
In July and August, opening is
extended to 8pm (with no
lunch break). Adults €7.
n Further information from
Pézenas Tourist Office, Hôtel
Peyrat, Place des Etats du
Languedoc (00 33 4 67 98 36 40;
pezenas-tourisme.fr)
would have been bustling with
building work in Molière’s day.
On Rue Conti, gracious Hôtel
d’Alfonce, at number 32, was
where he and his troupe performed for the Prince of Conti
in November 1655; while
Hostellerie du Bat d’Argent, at
number 44, was where the
actor stayed that winter – if the
street gate is open you can see
the galleried courtyard, still
redolent of Molière’s time.
Then make for Hôtel Peyrat
on Place des Etats du Languedoc. This complex building contains the town’s ancient prison
and modern tourist office. Explore the old jail section, now
containing a small, free exhibition about Pézenas’s crafts,
then head to the upper floors in
the adjoining 17th-century
building to see another free display: a gallery devoted to
Pézenas’ magnificent architecture. Best of all, though, Hôtel
Peyrat offers an ingenious 3D
show about the life and times of
Molière. This takes the form of
five acts, each in a different
room, so you move through the
building as you progress
through Molière’s life. The last
scene shows his death after collapsing on stage during a performance of Malade Imaginaire.
This summer, an audiophone
translation of the show will be
available in English.
VIII HERAULT
SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010 THE INDEPENDENT
HERAULT IX
THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010
Béziers Méditerranée
Preservation... A cultural collection
A surprise
around
every turn
The art of poverty: Alain Fornells’ brilliant ‘meubles modestes’ are created from
materials he finds discarded in the street, above; the Abbaye de Valmagne, below
Béziers’ exuberant character reflects the cultural and
political upheaval of its vivid past. By Harriet O’Brien
T
he classic view of
Béziers is from the
west bank of the
river Orb. As you
gaze across the
water, your eyes are drawn
up to a magnificent 13thcentury cathedral set on a
bluff, its towers punctuating the skyline while houses
with terracotta roofs huddle below. It is a scene that
looks so timeless and picturesque you might be forgiven for expecting this old
market town to simply be a
place of quiet charm and
nostalgic appeal, personified by the cathedral, its unfinished cloisters and adjoining mansion (now the
Palais de Justice), which
have an other-worldly air to
them. But there is much
else besides. For Béziers,
together with its immediate
surroundings, is one of the
most intriguing places in
southern France – and offers plenty of surprises.
The town has a rich and,
in parts, dark history, yet
today it presents a palpable
sense of exuberance. Immediately to the north and
east of the cathedral, a
bustling tangle of alleys
forms the old heart of
Béziers, the street names
given in French (with blue
plaques) and Occitan (with
cream plaques) – the ancient language of the troubadours. However, beneath
the medieval layout is a far
older settlement, for
Béziers dates back to
pre-Roman times, and archaeological work continues to uncover its history.
Béziers thrived under the
Romans and also, notably,
during the 10th to 12th centuries. But as a Languedoc
stronghold of the Cathars,
it was brutally pillaged and
burnt by crusaders in 1209.
Thereafter it remained a
backwater, enlivened in the
17th century by the activities of local hero Pierre Paul
Riquet who created the
Canal du Midi. In the 19th
century, however, Béziers’
fortunes turned – and it became an immensely prosperous wine centre. East of
the medieval core lie the opulent mansions of the vineyard owners, keen to show
off their new wealth. Better
still, in terms of visual appeal, is the Cimetière Vieux
to the north of the old town:
founded in 1838, this remarkable graveyard contains an astonishing range
of lavish mausoleums commissioned by the town’s
newly rich residents.
By contrast, to tap into
the vibrant world of the living, make for the bars and
restaurants around place
Jean-Jaurès, or visit on a
Friday when the broad
boulevard of Allées Paul Riquet becomes awash with
colour as the weekly flower
market is held. Yet, to sample the town at its most
flamboyant, come in midAugust when the four-day
feria takes place, a festival
with much partying and
street carnivals, and with
the serious action centring
on the town’s arena and the
bull tournaments there.
But you don’t necessarily
need to join the crowds to
appreciate Béziers and its
surrounds. There’s a quirky
originality and creativity to
this area that is best discovered, and savoured, gradually. On the southern
fringes of town, for example, female visitors can
relax in unique style by
booking a session on a
beauty-treatment barge.
Moored at Port Neuf, a
leafy marina giving on to
the Canal du Midi, Péniche
de la Beauté Permanente is
an ingenious outfit specialising in facial treatments
and massages. This old
cargo barge has been wonderfully revamped to offer
two treatment rooms and a
small hammam while upstairs on deck is a little
swimming pool and a shaded chill-out area. Complete
with ducks passing by, it
Travel essentials Art and indulgence
What to see and do
n Péniche de la Beauté Permanente,
Port Neuf, 34500 Béziers (00 33 6 23 74
22 46; beauty-boat-beziers.fr). Open
Monday afternoon; Wednesday morning
and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
n Meubles Modestes d’Alain Fornells, 2
rue des Remparts, 34290 Bassan (00 33 6
23 74 22 46). By appointment (no charge)
n Sérignan Museum of Contemporary
Art, 146 Ave de la Plage, 34410 Sérignan
(00 33 4 67 32 33 05; ville-serignan.fr)
Tuesday to Sunday 1-6pm; adults €5
n Dado au Domaine des Orpellières,
34410 Sérignan-Plage. By appointment –
contact Sérignan Tourist Office (00 33 4
67 32 42 21; ville-serignan.fr)
Further information from Béziers-
Méditerranée tourist office (00 33 4 67
76 84 00; beziersmediterranee.com)
Where to stay
Hôtel Imperator, 28 Allées Paul Riquet,
34500 Béziers (00 33 4 67 49 02 25;
hotel-imperator.fr). Centrally located with
a 19th-century air of grandeur. Doubles
from €75 without breakfast.
n Hôtel des Poètes, 80 Allées Paul
Riquet, 34500 Béziers (00 33 4 67 76 38
66; hoteldespoetes.net). A chic guesthouse with 14 rooms. Doubles from €45,
without breakfast.
n
Where to eat
n La Compagnie des Comptoirs, 15
place Jean Jaurès, 34500 Béziers
(00 33 4 67 36 33 63; lacompagniedes
comptoirs.com; closed Sun and Mon).
Offering Mediterranean dishes with an
Asian twist, this gourmet establishment
was set up by the Michelin-starred
Pourcel brothers in 2007 and has since
been taken over by Christophe Vessaire.
n La Maison de Campagne, 36 Ave
Pierre Verdier, 34500 Béziers (00 33 4
67 30 91 85; aupauvrejacques.fr)
Relaxing and stylish restaurant near the
arena, masterminded by the rising star
chef Pierre Augé.
n L’Harmonie, Chemin de la Barque,
34410 Sérignan (00 33 4 67 32 39 30;
lharmonie.fr). Wonderfully inventive
dishes created by top chef Bruno
Capellari in a riverside setting.
presents perhaps the ultimate in relaxation.
For contemporary
culture, the small town
of Sérignan, a few minutes
drive south of Béziers, is an
unexpected treat. Quite
apart from its Roman roots
and its position close to
beaches and the cheerful
seaside resort of Sérignan
Plage, the town has recently developed into a seriously good modern art centre,
attracting international
interest from New York,
Milan, London and more. In
2002, a bold new theatre
building, La Cigalière,
was completed, with exterior artworks by the French
conceptual artist Daniel
Buren. Following this
success, a striking modern
art gallery was opened
in 2006, created from a
cleverly transformed wine
warehouse. Among the
permanent collection here
are works by French
painter Vincent Bioules
and the Montenegro-born
artist Dado.
Most amazing of all,
though, is a hidden gem by
River dance: the best view of Béziers is from the banks of the
Orb, top; Dado installation at the winery, above GETTY IMAGES
Dado. Back in 1994 the
artist was invited by Sérignan’s town council to create
an installation in an old
wine building set in the protected Domaine des Orpellières, an area of sand and
salt marshes rich in wildlife
and close to the sea. The result is extraordinary and
heart-rending: responding
to Balkan conflict that had
started in his native land,
Dado produced a work on
the horrors of war, covering
the old building’s interior
walls with graffiti and murals of monstrous figures
and placing burnt-out cars
and broken beds in the centre of the space.
For a more cheerful yet
equally astonishing art discovery, head to the pretty
village of Bassan, a few kilometres north of Béziers.
Here the brilliant and eccentric works of Alain Fornells are on intimate display in his home. He is a
professional nurse whose
hobby of making furniture
has grown into a charmingly surreal artform. There is
great sense of fun and
sometimes an almost magical element to his meubles
modestes, which are made
from fruit boxes, crates,
petrol cans and other unlikely materials. There’s a
dresser that rocks; a cabinet with doors that open inwards and bears the legend
“impratiquable” on the bottom drawer; and a narrow
wooden car you can sit in.
Fornells displays his creations over three storeys of
a 16th-century village
house, which visitors are
welcome to see by appointment. He takes the time to
personally explain the stories behind each piece –
none of which are not for
sale, they are simply produced for the pure pleasure
of creation. Made with discarded materials they are,
he says, a homage to poverty and he is delighted to
show them to anyone who
takes the trouble to find
their way to his house.
You tap into a tremendous
passion for the past in
Languedoc. Not only is this
region steeped in history
but, thanks to the commitment of local residents, an
impressive number of its
buildings, monuments and
artefacts have been (and,
indeed, are still being)
carefully preserved.
Take the Ephèbe Museum
in the modern resort of Cap
d’Agde, for example. This
amazing gallery displays the
treasures found in the sea
immediately
around – a great
many of them
discovered and
donated by recreational divers.
The ancient town
of Agde a short
distance away is
the second oldest
settlement in
France after
Marseille.
Founded by the
Greeks in the
sixth century BC,
it was a very rich
and busy port for
centuries, as the
wealth of finds in
the museum attests. There are quantities of
intact amphora here; Roman
millstones; enormous and
stunningly complete dolium
storage jars; decorative wine
vessels and much more. In
pride of place is the eponymous Ephèbe, a near life-size
bronze believed to be a statue of Alexander the Great.
Further inland, to the east
of Pézenas, Abbaye de
Valmagne is an architectural
marvel. This huge Cistercian
monastery survived the
widespread destruction
of the French Revolution
when it was sold to the
Granier-Joyeuse family who
conserved the church by
turning it into a winery. The
property was subsequently
bought by the Count of
Turenne, whose descendants
still lovingly look after it
today, complete with enormous wine vats punctuating
the stupendous nave.
West of Béziers, work is
ongoing at the Abbaye de
Fontcaude. This sublimely
peaceful Augustinian
monastery was founded in
the 12th century, and aban-
doned in the 19th century
after which it fell into ruin.
Today, parts of it have been
restored, the efforts masterminded and funded by a
group of local enthusiasts.
At Roujan, to the northeast, the 11th-century priorycum-château of Cassan is in
the throes of being rescued.
Once a thriving priory with
80 canons living here, it
was transformed into a glorious palace in the 1750s and
today you can explore several of the splendid ground
floor rooms, while restoration work is ongoing in the
second storey. A visit here
will also take in the adjoining
priory church, an immensely
tall building that was consecrated in 1115. It’s soaring
barrel vault ceiling is an
extraordinary feat of
Romanesque engineering
and grace.
Nearby an impressive feat
of both engineering and conservation has been achieved
near the village of Faugères.
For a great many years, three
17th-century windmills lay in
ruins on a ridge just above
this enterprising village – they were
thought to have
been destroyed
after the local
miller proclaimed
“Long live the King”
during the French
Revolution. Since
1997, one mill has
been painstakingly
brought back to
working life, complete with sails and
original millstone.
For the local volunteers involved it has
been a richly rewarding exercise in
engineering history, as well as an absorbing journey into the region’s architectural past.
n Musée de L’Ephèbe, Cap
d’Agde (00 33 4 67 94 69 60;
ville-agde.fr)
n Abbaye de Valmagne,
near Villeveyrac (00 33 4 67
78 47 32; valmagne.com)
n Abbaye de Fontcaude,
near Béziers (00 33 4 67 38
23 85; abbaye-defontcaude.com)
n Château de Cassan,
Roujan (00 33 4 67 24 52 45;
chateau-cassan.com)
n Les Moulins de Faugères,
Faugères (moulinsde
faugeres.blogspot.com).
X HERAULT
SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010 THE INDEPENDENT
Travel by numbers
Back to nature
Canal du Midi
The speed limit in kilometres per hour for boats on
the canal. It’s a supremely
relaxing way to travel: the
boats glide past vineyards,
and under avenues of
greenery created by the
branches of plane trees.
The only challenge is in
making your way through
the locks – of which
there are more than 60
along the entire canal.
These are in operation for
cruise boats from mid
March to early November.
Rental charges vary during
this period: at the start of
the season a two-berth vessel will cost from €350 for
weekend hire and from
€530 per week. Rental companies include Ad’ Navis
(00 33 4 67 90 95 51; ad
navis.com) and Nautic (00
33 4 67 94 78 93; nautic.fr),
both offering departures
from Agde.
1681
20
The width of the canal surface in metres. The best
way to appreciate this ribbon of water, complete with
ducks and other wildlife, is
to wake up on it. Several old
barges have been converted into floating hotels and
guesthouses. Among them
is L’Appart des Anges (00 33
4 67 26 05 57; appartdes
anges.com), which is
moored just outside Cers. It
has three bedrooms, a
retro-chic sitting room and
pool. Doubles from €105.
40
The average number
of kilometres you
cycle per day on a
week’s biking holiday from
Carcassonne to Sète
along the Canal du
Midi. The canal’s tow paths were laid out for heavy horses pulling barges carrying wine, farm produce and more,
and latterly they have been transformed into walkways
and cycle routes. Among the companies arranging cycling breaks along the canal is Discover France (00 33 9
53 18 94 99; discoverfrance.com) offering a seven-night
trip from €955 including accommodation.
OFFICE DE TOURISME DU CAP D’AGDE N. CHORIER; G DESCHAMP; VILLE DE MARSEILLAN
This marvel of engineering is also a beautiful
route through the region. Harriet O’Brien
calculates the appeal of a majestic waterway
The year the Canal du Midi was opened. This amazing
feat of engineering took 14 years and nine months to
complete and was principally the creation of one man:
Pierre-Paul Riquet. He was a wealthy salt-tax collector
for the Languedoc area, from Béziers, who had the
skill and determination to design and implement a
man-made water link between the river Garonne and
the Mediterranean, thereby providing a great trading
route across southern France. Riquet sunk all his
money into the venture, devising ingenious combinations
of locks and even a canal tunnel. He died financially
ruined six months before the project was finished.
Yet, shortly after opening, the canal proved a
huge success. The story of his achievement is
told on canal-du-midi.org
1
Seek out the secret garden
Join the lucky
few who have
discovered
Hérault’s rural
beauty, says
Henry Palmer
240
The length of the canal in kilometres. It runs from
Toulouse to the edge of the Étang de Thau, ending at the
point where the lagoon opens on to the Mediterranean by
the old fishing village of Marseillan. On summer mornings this picturesque area, known as Les Onglous, is
awash with small boats starting out on cheerful excursions along the canal. For more details on the district
visit marseillan.com
12,000
The number of workers Pierre-Paul Riquet employed to
create the canal, about 600 of them women. This was not
just a manmade waterway – it was largely handmade too,
for 17th-century construction techniques chiefly involved
hard, manual labour. However, in mitigation, Riquet was
a model employer, paying his workers well above the average wage and refusing to take on anyone younger than
20 years old. To conserve their joint achievement, in 1996
the Canal du Midi became an Unesco World Heritage Site
(whc.unesco.org).
The remarkable round lock just outside the ancient town
of Agde. Built in 1676, it is an engineering triumph connecting three different levels of water through three lock
gates and shaped to allow barges scope to turn around
and select the appropriate exit: to the east is the Étang de
Thau; to the west is Béziers; to the south is Agde – and
beyond it the seaside resort of Cap d’Agde. More information from en.capdagde.com
2
The number of hours you
can enjoy a musical boat
ride along the canal from
the ancient town of Vias.
You join a troupe of actors and musicians for
an evening’s entertainment on the water.
Departures at 6.30pm on
selected Fridays. Details
from the Vias tourist
office (ot-vias.com).
26
1829
The date in June of the start of the Canal
du Midi’s annual celebration, a two-day
event with music, games, food and more
that takes place along from Béziers to
The year the “Canal du
Cers. The main action is at the Fonseranes locks, just outside Béziers. The nine locks form an extraordinary staircase Rhône à Sète” was completed. This 92km waterway
up the hillside. For details, see beziersmediterranee.com
is an extension to the
Canal du Midi, linking
Étang de Thau to the river
Rhône, running east from
Sète to Beaucaire. In the
vicinity of Lunel, it passes
through the marshland of
the Petite Camargue, a
haven for birds such as
flamingos, egrets, ibis and
more, wild horses and bulls.
The Parc Régional de
Camargue was established
as a national park and nature reserve in 1972.
Free wheel: explore the
countryside far from
other tourists
Travel
essentials
PNRHL-CLAIRE LIBESSART
What to do
n Biking from Cyrpeo,
235 Ave Maréchal de Lattre
de Tassigny, 34400 Lunel
(00 33 4 67 71 16 09;
cyrpeo.com). Bike rental
from €15 per day (€8
for children).
T
he majestic drama
of Hérault’s northern landscape is
counterbalanced by
the gentle rural
charm of the south. With its
spectacular mountains and
gorges, sparkling and rapidly moving rivers, and its
pretty, rolling coastal countryside, the region is a glorious natural playground.
Whether you want to hike,
bike, fish, play golf or go
potholing, there are a
wealth of activities on offer.
One of the region’s bestkept secrets is in the southeast, around the town of
Lunel. Lying between
Nîmes and Montpellier, this
area has yet to be discovered by the most tourists,
so you may have swathes of
the green and undulating
landscape to yourself. And
there’s much to see and do.
The absorbing Roman remains of Ambrussum are a
short distance from Lunel.
This was effectively a
Roman service station on
the Via Domitia and, quite
apart from the remains of
Gallo-Roman houses to explore here, you can walk beside the river Vidourle to
admire the surviving arch
of a bridge built in the 1st
century AD and then head
uphill to see a section of
paved Roman road scored
with chariot tracks. The
tourist office in Lunel has
devised seven walking circuits in the
Walking in the Lunel
area. Pick up a map from
the Lunel Tourist Office, 16
cours Gabriel-Péri, 34402
Lunel (00 33 4 67 71 01 37;
ot-paysdelunel.fr)
n
Fishing from Château de
Colombières sur Orb,
34390 Colombières sur Orb
(00 33 4 67 95 63 62;
guide-peche-truite.com)
Half-day with guide, around
€144 for two.
n
Canoeing and kayaking
with Atelier Rivière
Randonnée, Moulin de
Tarassac, Mons-la-Trivalle
(00 33 4 67 97 74; canoetarassac.com). Canoe hire
from €35 for one and a half
hours (kayaks from €22).
n
Golf de Lamalou-lesBains, route de Saint Pons,
34240 Lamalou-les-Bains
(00 33 4 67 95 08 47;
golf-lamalou-les-bains.com).
n
region, including a hike to
and through this site and a
trail around the winelands
of St Christol further north.
Dotted with picturesque
villages, the area is also
prime biking country. This
summer a new network of
cycle paths opens here, the
well-signed routes offering
four different levels of exertion. To hire a bike and take
advice about the trails,
make for the enterprising
outfit Cyrpeo in Lunel. Part
bike shop, part tour operator, it has a wide range of
equipment including GPS
devices that can be used on
a bike. On request the company will even deliver bikes
to your accommodation.
Up in the north-west, the
Parc Naturel Régional du
Haut Languedoc is a
ruggedly beautiful area of
granite peaks and river valleys. It extends over some
260,000 hectares and is
criss-crossed by footpaths.
Head to the eastern sector
for particularly striking
gorge walks: the tourist
offices at Mons La Trivalle
and Olargues can provide
maps and advice on trails
to follow. Or take to the
water. Atelier Rivière Ran-
donnée just outside Mons
La Trivalle offers canoeing
and kayaking on the River
Orb. Trips range from 5km
paddles to three-day adventures during which you stop
in campsites overnight.
Water sport of a very
different nature is on offer
at Château de Colombières
sur Orb nearby. This
stylish gite complex with
swimming pool and magnificent views offers a range
activities, chief of which
is fishing. From here, guided by expert fly fisher
Sébastien Salavin, you
fish for trout, perch, pike
and more on the rivers
Mare, Jaur and Agout.
It is, says Salavin, extraordinary to see how even
the most stressed executives unwind with a rod in
hand, and how, through
concentrating on the
natural world around them,
they really relax.
A few kilometres further
east you can play golf at the
beautiful course at
Lamalou-les-Bains. The
setting beneath mountains
and by the river Orb is
spectacular and the course,
complete with elevated
greens, is challenging.
Festivals... Troubadours and tournaments
Where to stay and eat
Le Château de Pouget,
Chemin des Brus, 34400
Vérargues, Nr Lunel
(00 33 4 67 86 08 82;
chambres-de-pouget.com).
A very elegant chambres
d’hôtes with four guest
rooms. Doubles from €115
n
Château de
Colombières sur Orb
(00 33 4 67 95 63 62;
guide-peche-truite.com
and gitesdecharme.biz).
Well-equipped gites sleeping from four to six from
€300 for three nights.
n
L’Estaminet de Mauroul,
Hameau de Mauroul,
34390 St Julien d’Olargues
(00 33 4 67 97 27 73;
estaminetmauroul.com)
A real find: tucked away
in a hamlet in HautLanguedoc is this gourmet
haven that opened in
December last year. Chef
Philippe Aubron spent
many years working in
some of Japan’s best
restaurants, and this is
subtly reflected in his
sophisticated cuisine.
n
PHOTOLIBRARY.COM
8
HERAULT XI
THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010
Reflecting a fascinating
wealth of cultural traditions
and activities, there’s a rich
assortment of festivals taking place throughout the
year in Hérault.
Head to Béziers on 14 and
15 May and you’ll find yourself stepping back in time to
the days of the troubadours.
For two days this lively market town hosts the Caritats
Medieval Festival
(http://caritats-fetesmedievales.over-blog.com),
an extravaganza with much
pageantry, jousting and
music. For watersports and
more, don’t miss the Fête
de Nautisme (fetedunautisme.com) taking
place across France on 5 and
6 June and with a host of activities and competitions at
Cap d’Agde, Clermont
L’Hérault, Sète and Mèze.
During the second week in
July, Lunel (ot-pays
delunel.fr) becomes a party
town of parades and celebra-
tions centring on Camargue
bulls and bullfighting , with
tournaments taking place in
the town’s arena.
Over in Frontignan, the
town’s annual Muscat
Festival is held this year
from 15 to 18 July, with wine
tastings, concerts and tours
of the nearby vineyards. To
see the extraordinary sport
of water jousting, make for
Sète between 18 and 24
August when Fête de la
Saint Louis takes place
(tourisme-sete.com), commemorating the town’s patron saint and featuring
spectacular water tournaments in the Canal Royal.
At the start of October,
Montpellier hosts Europe’s
only international Guitar
Festival (ot-montpellier.fr).
While for Christmas
festivities with an Occitan
twist, make for Pézenas
(pezenas-tourisme.fr) during the second and third
weeks of December.