St Guilhem-le-Désert

This is a must-visit place to have on your bucket list, and is only about half an hour's drive from central Montpellier. Nestled in the gorges of the Hérault River, it's a chocolate-box picturesque medieaval village, officially listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France ('Plus Beaux Villages de la France'). 

From the main road, the village perches on the edge of a steep ravine that descends into the River Hérault where turquoise blue water cuts through the craggy rocks. Along the roadside are several canoe and kayaking companies, tourist information and a couple of restaurants with riverside views. 

From there tiny cobblestone alleyways wind slowly up the hill revealing quaint little cottages, balconies and stairwells adorned with plants and flowers. 

There are plenty of little shops to browse, mainly selling local artisan products, and locals also set out tables selling household bric and brac. 

At the top of the village is the 9th century Abbey of Gellone, which opens into the heart of the village, a beautiful village square. 

Its centre is adorned with a magnificent ancient plane tree with a trunk measuring more than 6m around (fun fact: it is known as the 'King Plane' and was planted in 1855 to celebrate the birth of the Republic). There are several decent and reasonably-priced restaurants to choose from in the square so this is a great place to enjoy lunch under the shade of the King Plane. Behind the village the mountains rise up; here you can follow trails and take a hike; excursions are available. 

Although the village is a lovely afternoon out in itself, it's not the only attraction in the vicinity. As you approach the village, about 3 km away, there is the 11th Century 'Pont du Diable' or Devil's bridge which you can walk across and admire the breathtaking views. 

Below the bridge the river widens out to form a small lake with a fairly sizeable beach: the 'Plage à Pont du Diable' is a well managed, popular site for picnics and sunbathing. Behind this there are facilities including a tourist information centre and shop, a brasserie and toilets, as well as the large 'Pont du Diable' car park.

A few hundred metres from the bridge heading towards village, there are also the locally famous Clamouse Caves: we've not visited these yet, but you'd probably need to get there early to do everything in one day. 

How to get there

By car: Take the N109 from Celleneuve (if coming from the Avenue de la Liberté come off at the junction that is marked 'Millau/St George/Lodeve'), continue onto the A750, come off at exit 60 (St Guilhem-le-Desert), follow the D9 to Gignac then the D32, then D27. While there are a few car parks in the village, places are limited and fill up quickly. Alternatively the large car park located behind the Pont du Diable is set-up to serve the whole vicinity; free shuttle buses are run regularly between the car park and the village.

By public transport: The 668 bus goes from the Mosson TAM tramstop (line 1 terminus) and stops at the bridge, the caves and the village: the journey takes about 45 minutes. There is a winter and summer schedule, so do check the timetables on Hérault transport, as there are only a few buses a day.