Perhaps you did not know, but in our beloved France it exists a distinctive called ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’, which brings together the most beautiful villages in France and help us discover hidden gems. Today we approach another of them: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
We dare to say that Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert is not only one of the most beautiful villages in France but also in Europe. It has been declared a historic monument, World Heritage by UNESCO and is part of the French Way of St. James.
It is the typical town that seems it has been built to be a postcard, because it is located in the valley of Verdus River in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon. The mixture of medieval buildings, the green valley and the river running through it makes the landscape totally unique.
And the first thing to do here is to go all over the town completely. It is not big, and you can go across it very easily cause it is a great street that, if walked up and down, forces you to know all the village. And it is worth doing. You can visit the Abbey of Gellone, and all the little craft shops in the area.
Around Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert there are two places that are worth visiting. On the one side is the Pont du Diable (or Devil’s Bridge), part of the French route of the Way of St. Jacques. It is one of the oldest medieval bridges in France. Today, though, it is commonly used to jump from the top to the lake that laps against it. It is quite imposing to see! (And terrifies too, really).
The other important visit is the Grotte de Clamouse, a cave known as the Cathedral of Time that along its millions of years has formed strange and beautiful concretions. It is the first cave in Europe completely equipped with LED lights.
You can reach Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert through the A750 from Montpellier, a city which is only 44 kilometers apart.
Photos: christian clausier, Gramps, sylvain collet and PierreG.
