Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a medieval village with approx. 250 inhabitants in the department of Hérault in the region of Occitania. The distance from the Prieuré Saint Martial is about 47 km (29 miles), the trip by car takes about 45 minutes, by bike it would take around 2.5 hours (one way).
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a popular pilgrimage site on the pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostela, it’s located in the valley of Verdus that leads to the Hérault river not far away from it.
Known as one of the most beautiful villages of France (“des plus beaux villages de France”) and, together with its Abbey, the nearby Hérault Canyon (Gorges de l’Hérault) and the Devil’s Bridge (Pont du Diable), Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert ranks among the most famous tourist attractions of Occitania.
The village was named after William of Aquitania, who founded the Abbey of Gellone in the year 804, and it was classified as a part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage “Jacobean Pilgrims Ways in France” in 1998.
We wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, since it’s definitely a fantastic and magic place that you should have visited during your stay in the department of Hérault.
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