ADISSAN

Surrounded by vineyards, the village of Adissan is well known in this part of the world for its "Clairette", a fine white wine with character.

The village itself is quiet and peaceful, perched among the vines. The gothic church is twelfth century and the old "lavoir" - washhouse - is picturesque. Not be missed is the pleasant walk on foot to the pretty Chapelle de la Roque, overlooking the village in a grove of pine trees.

Every year in May, the village totem, the " Poulain " makes a traditional appearance with a cortège of decorated floats for a lively and colourful parade through the village (for info, tel. 04 67 25 01 12).

ALIGNAN DU VENT

Summer visitors will discover the weekly popular "brasucades" on Saturday evenings.

ASPIRAN

A small but attractive village surrounded by pine trees and vines, the air here is particularly pure and healthy. The clock tower dates back to the 12th century, and the village developed around the 14th century church. The architecture is typical of such small country communities unchanged by the passage of time. The tourist office of Paulhan organises guided tours of the village every summer (tel. 04 67 25 15 14).

AUMES

Traces of Iron Age man have been found near Aumes on a promontory overlooking the Hérault river valley. The more modern village still dates back to medieval times. A XIIIth century church (with museum) overlooks the peaceful village square with plane trees and delightful old " mairie ". A pleasant 12 km footpath starting from the village square has been recently marked out and cleared. Views of the valley are beautiful from " Pioch du Télégraph " in particular.

CASTELNAU DE GUERS

Castelnau is an attractive fortified village overlooking the Hérault river. There are no less than six producers of the local white wine, Picpoul de Pinet, extremely dry and excellent with seafood. The feudal castle, traditional fief of the Barons de Guers is still standing and is currently being restored. A fine XIIIth century church and very old narrow streets and houses add to the charm of this picturesque village

Various events and guided tours of the village are organised by the local Cave Coopérative (tel. 04 67 98 91 72) and festivities and cultural events are organised in the village every weekend from July 14 to August 15 by the municipality (tel. 04 67 98 13 61).

CAUX

Caux is of medieval origin and again built in a circular fashion typical of the "circulades". The listed church, tower and porch date back to XIIth and XIVth centuries and there are some fine examples of mullioned windows and elaborate woodwork on front doors throughout the old part of the village.

An interesting walk from Caux through the ancient volcanic area of the Baumes volcano has recently been tracked and marked (12km). .

GABIAN

MARSEILLAN

The attractive market town of Marseillan with a harbour on the Etang de Thau is said to have been founded in the 6th century BC by fishermen from Massalia (the Greeks who also founded Marseille). During the 17th century Marseillan became the gateway to the Canal du Midi which from there winds its way up to Castelnaudary and the Garonne river. South of the town is the popular modern sea resort of Marseillan Plage, with miles of sandy beaches stretching along the Mediterranean coastline towards Sète on one side and Cap d'Agde on the other.

Today Marseillan is still very much a fishing and oyster-farming village with a busy Tuesday weekly market. The surrounding vineyards produce mainly white Picpoul and Clairette wines.

There are several restaurants and bars around the delightful little port where you can enjoy a pleasant meal or taste the local wines in the sun. Just across the harbour the Noilly Prat cellars, where the famous vermouth has been produced since 1813, are open to the public and guided tours (French, English and German) are available from March to December.

Every town in France has a statue of « Marianne », symbol of the republic and Marseillan is proud to have the oldest Marianne in France dating back to 1878.

Boat tours of the lagoon among the oyster beds are organised during the summer. The Etang de Thau is a wild-life paradise and visits are organised to the « Bagnas Reserve » by the wildlife protection society « SPN ».

The « Halle aux oiseaux » in the centre of town (place 14 juillet) is worth a visit for its vast collection of stuffed birds ; 400 species from throughout the world are on view.

For further information, contact the tourist office

URL :www.marseillan.com - email : info@marseillan.com

Maison du Tourisme
Avenue de la Méditerranée
34340 Marseillan Plage
tél. : (+33) 04 67 21 82 43
fax : (+33) 04 67 21 82 58

MEZE

Known as Mesua, this little port on the largest lagoon on the Languedoc coast, the "Bassin de Thau" was already a hive of activity in VIth century BC and remains of Roman villae have been found here (see nearby Loupian). Then during the XIXth century, golden age of the wine industry the port was again thriving. Today it is an attractive but more sleepy little town. In summer you be lucky to see jousting in boats here as in Sète during the town festivities throughout the second fortnight in August (tourist office : 04 67 24 18 55).

Just outside Mèze, the discovery of dinosaur eggs has led to the establishment of a dinosaur park and museum where children will enjoy life-size models of many types of dinosaur and the excavation site can be visited. Entry : adults : FF 38 ; children 5-12 yrs. : FF 28).

In the Middle Ages most visitors to Montagnac would have come for one of the five annual fairs organised jointly with Pézenas, which attracted tradesmen and buyers from far afield. Today Montagnac with a population of only 3000 is nevertheless proud of its heritage and there are some fine relics of a glorious past. The medieval church spire may be seen from afar - it is 54.50m high. The village has in fact been traced right back to the IXth century. Fine examples of XVI and XVII century façades and the fountain near the church are of particular note.

Like Pézenas, Montagnac has its own totem - a goat, brought out during carnival and other festive occasions for the "Danse de la Cabreta". Information at the tourist office in Montagnac : 04 67 24 14 84.

Near to Montagnac (take the road to Valmagne Abbey) is Bessilles, a large, attractive (and nearly free !) activity park. Take your picnic and/or barbecue. Entrance to the swimming pool is 15 FF for adults, children from 5-14 : 10FF ; under fives : 8 FF. Tennis courts are reasonably priced too : 23F an hour

NEZIGNAN L'EVEQUE

PAULHAN

A delightful example of a village built in a " circulade ", the red rooves of Paulhan wind round in circles on a small hill overlooking the river Hérault. Parts of this village can be traced as far back a thousand years - visit the XI century Chapel of Notre Dame des Vertus and a hermitage perched on a hill - St. Jean de Vareilhes.

Although there is plenty of sun sweetened further by an excellent Clairette white wine or the local honey specialities, your holiday here need not be totally lazy : there is a public swimming pool and tennis courts and opportunities for fishing, hiking, or mountain biking. There is actually quite a lot going on in this village and the annual " Foire aux couleurs " fair (first weekend in May) is a popular event for visitors from miles around. Find out more from the tourist office (tel. 04 67 25 15 14).

A tiny village perched on a hill, St. Pons de Mauchiens is another typical example of the "circulade" type villages dating back to the XI and XII centuries. The castle there was built for the grand bishops of Agde in 1199 (see also Nézignan l'Evêque). Just 4km from the village you may also admire a fine mill the : "Moulin de Roquemengarde" on the river Hérault. To really escape from the modern world, there is a fine footpath (17km) that has been recently restored and marked out leading from the outskirts of the village right out into the hilly "garrigue" countryside, perfumed with thyme, lavender and rosemary.

There is a legend around the long name of this very small village : one of the lords of the castle owned a pack of ferocious dogs ("chien" in French) that he let loose at nightfall. One day he arrived home late and the doors to the castle were locked. The dogs did not recognise their master, savagely attacked him at the throat and tore him to pieces !

ST. THIBÉRY

A sleepy village among the vines, St. Thibéry can be traced back more than 4000 years of known history. In Roman times, this settlement at the junction of the rivers Hérault and Thongue was called Cessero, and no less than 39 Roman villas are said to have been built within the immediate area. The ancient town of Cessero today gives its name to the local wine.

Saint Thibéry was named in the 9th Century by the Benedictines, in memory of the son of a governor of Agde who was condemned to death by his father because he refused to worship the emperor. The present abbey and church date from the 14th Century and many of the houses in the village date back to the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. Just outside the village, look for the splendid medieval bridge crossing the Hérault river beside an XIth century mill. Time seems to have stood still for centuries in this peaceful spot.

A Roman day takes place in August with Gladiators, Son et Lumière and a banquet in the market square for over 300 people The village boasts 2 bakeries, a butcher, a poissonnerie, a small supermarket and a couple of bars.