오랑그독‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪4‬개의 동굴

Joncels dominates the Gravezon valley, and is crossed by narrow streets with picturesque houses. A stopover for pilgrims on their way to Compostela from Lodève, Joncels preserves the remains of a Benedictine Abbey whose origins date back to the 8th century and which was one of the most important in Languedoc in the Middle Ages. After crossing the cloister, the path heads towards Lunas, following the Way from Arles to Compostela. In Lunas, a pretty village nestled at the confluence of the Gravezon, Nize and Dourdou, detours are essential to enjoy the leisure centre of La Prades, and a break at the site of the Saint-Georges chapel, then it climbs steeply to reach the Dio plateau, finding the salutary shade of the Monts d'Orb national forest. We leave the route of the Grandes Traversées VTT du Massif Central and de l’Hérault to enjoy beautiful views of the Orb valley, to reach a magnificent panorama at the paragliding take-off point of Montjoux: Bédarieux, le Caroux… A pretty path, then a visual shock: you arrive at Dio! Sheltered by white limestone cliffs and emerging from the red earth characteristic of the surroundings of the Salagou lake, the village nestles under the imposing silhouette of its castle, a true legendary fortress.

A charming village nestled at the confluence of the Gravezon, the Nize and the Dourdou! The history of Lunas dates back to the Roman road that linked the lower Languedoc to Rouergue. Surely succeeding a Gallo-Roman oppidium, the Lunarenses castrum is mentioned as early as 806 in a charter of the Gélone abbey (that of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert). The town is dominated by the Redondel rock, an ancient fortified castle belonging to the baron of Faugères, Viscount of Béziers. Razed in 1627, it was rebuilt on the banks of the Gravezon in 1641 by Henry de Narbonne. A true summary of the history of Languedoc, and a very pleasant cultural, refreshing and gastronomic stopover… A small detour to enjoy the leisure center of Prades, and a break on the site of the Saint-Georges chapel are essential in Lunas

A village quite representative of Languedoc

Boussagues is an enchanting medieval village, which seduces with its well-preserved historical heritage. Nestled in a bucolic setting, you can stroll through cobbled streets, among stone houses and the remains of fortifications.

Cute little town with train connections and beautiful climbs in all directions

This picturesque little village has been classified as a green station. We find traces of its existence until 909. Four hamlets were located below the castle which was destroyed during the wars of religion. Rebuilt in the center of the village, it is still inhabited. Lunas is located on one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela. It also has the particularity of having a railway station.

very beautiful 12th century castle. It is possible to access it from the Passa païs greenway via a small bridge over the Thoré. More information about the castle: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Sauveterre

The village of Boussagues is worth the detour, especially since the roads leading to it are not very busy. Solidly set back from the valley of the Orb, this fortified medieval city is no more than a small village dozing under the weight of its past, to which its old walls, its medieval buildings and other vestiges still bear witness, signs of a distant power and a long history. Boussagues has two 12th century castles, a Renaissance manor, and two churches. Inside, ramparts, many typical alleys and pediments of buildings relate the past grandeur of the place. In particular, the Bailli's house which belonged to the famous painter Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. The city of Boussagues appeared in 1117 in the foothills of the Cévennes, which protected it from the Greeks and the Tramontane. Significant mining resources (silver then coal), easy-to-work building materials, water, wood, hillsides allowed continuous growth until the middle of the 14th century. Boussagues thus counted up to 1,500 souls at its peak. The city had all the civil, religious and military organization of the Middle Ages: lords, consuls, workers, notaries, hospital, bailiff, garrison, etc., allowing it to administer the entire Upper Orb Valley. Having lost almost two thirds of its population after the great plague of 1348, it seemed to recover with more than 1000 inhabitants in 1364, but it then declined slowly to only have around 400 souls during the Revolution. Boussagues ended up losing its status as chief town of the canton in 1884 to become just a simple hamlet in the commune of La Tour sur Orb. One of the stones embedded in the walls of the church (I haven't seen it, but maybe you can find it?) bears the following epitaph which seems to be that of the village: "O man, what are you looking at ? What I was, you are, what I am, you will be.