abbaye saint guilhem le desert

It left us awe-struck,considering it now functions as a parish church, boasting the best preserved French organ built by the celebrated Cavaille in 18th- century, a performance of which we were privy to listen to Somehow, our criss-crossing of France had omitted Montpellier, but for this review it is the village nestled in the middle of garrigue, gullies and caves, that we were itching to see. On arrival it resembles a typical southern village huddled around its abbey. Scarcely altered and well preserved it has narrow lanes and flower-bedecked stone houses roofed with tile, its rugged beauty is worthy of its accolades. Its literally snuggled among the boulders, dominated by the 'giant's' castle, an imposing sentinel at the gateway to the desert, the medieval village can easily compare to Camelot or confetti created by Disney. Its parapet, fifteen m above the Herault River gives an exceptional view of the desert. Saint-Guilhem has an air of serenity, making it easy to succumb to its charms, especially the shade of a plane tree over a hundred years old after strolling through the medieval lanes to the Place de la Liberte. We found,that the village of 250 souls are one, big happy family who were very kind and hospitable to two Antipodeans within their midst, quizzing us as we listened to the organ accompanying Sunday service. They suggested following the stream to "Bout du Mond" and the Clamouse caverns. They strongly advised us to consult, prior to setting off, the dried thistles that adorn many doorways, which act as a barometer. If the flower is wide open, it should rain. If closed, then the forcast is poor. As foodies, we totally enjoyed the local oreilletus, called bougnettes; succulent fritters made with dough flavoured with orange flower. it was the perfect stop before we had a quick look at the potteries for the local glassed ceramics. Fabulous, hospitable, charming village and inhabitants.

We saw the abbey on a guided tour and we were fortunate to get some background on this landmark, otherwise it would have been just a church in a small town. Cool site but sadly we were kicked out because the Sunday mass was going to start.

The church was started in the 12thC I believe and has several styles of church architecture. It has an amazingly high vaulted ceiling and gives off a feeling of calm. The cloisters are very serene and there is a museum within them. I found it amazing that such a small village, had such a large church. From it, you walk out directly into the village square with it's restaurants and shops. There is a very old tree in the middle of the square, and I imagine, it must have seen a lot of events happening!

The Abbey in this tiny village is certainly worth a visit. It is very beautiful and has a lovely serene feeling about it. Delightful cloister as well..

This abbey blends Romanesque, medieval, and Roman trappings and as such could represent the growth of Europe in architecture. Pretty cool to see. Huge barrell vaults on the inside and an picture postcard views on the outside. And it's free!

The owners of the villa we were renting said seeing the town was a must and getting there early was advisable because of the parking . They were absolutely right on both counts. We went on a Monday morning as the forecast was cloudy and managed to park on the edge of town in the canoe hire car park for free. Perhaps it was because we had parked where we had but it seemed that there was not very to see but how wrong were we. The walk up through the winding streets, with the arts and crafts shops, was a real revelation; this is a town that keeps on giving and having wandered down a side alley we found ourselves in the main square next to the Abbaye. It was so peaceful and quiet inside and also outside in the cloisters. This is truly a wonderful building and much grander than you might expect even if it is in the oldest town in France. By the time we came out of the Abbaye it was approaching mid day and the cafés in the main square were beginning to fill up quite rapidly. Having managed to find a table under what can only be described as the biggest tree I have ever seen in a town square, we had one of the best croque's and green salad ever. This came with a glass of wine and was reasonably priced at 10 Euros. All in all a lovely day out.

This village is a beautiful place to stop a after a canoe trip down the L'Herault River or even by itself. As with many small villages, the Abbaye (abbey) or church are the center of the attractions in town. However, here there are many shops with, not just tourist souvenirs, but with many shops where local artisans sell their wares. There is everything from art, to soaps, to jewelry. Above the village is a fortress built into the face of a cliff on the mountain. The food in town is wonderful, especially, if like us, you like to snack your way though town trying many different things.

If you can walk the steep hill to the Abbey it is well worth a visit. It is on the Camino and I was thrilled to walk a little of the way.A delightful little village...But parking is a huge problem.....but be patient it is worth it!

A very busy spot this town with parking a major issue, come late in the day to park at the top of the town and it is a short walk to the abbey. It is a beautiful, spare, peaceful example of romanesque architecture, with a lovely cloister outside.Pause for a moment to contemplate all off the footsteps that went before you, light a candle..it is lovely.

We visited Saint Guilhem after a blissful day in the Gorge d'Heric and were blown away by the beauty and tranquility of this ancient place. It's setting is stunning and despite the tourism,it manages to retain it's character and integrity. It deserves its status as a World Heritage Site.

As you enter the village square, you will be greeted by a huge sycamore tree, planted in 1855. Explored the charming village on those narrow winding roads, stopped by for a snack (espresso and crape), visited the church. The atmosphere of this village takes you back in time. Gellone Abbey is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as Pont du Diable bridge which is one of the oldest medieval bridges in France.

This is truly one of the most serene and beautiful places I've visited. The church is simple yet impressive, the cloisters tranquil and the main square an oasis of calm - if you ignore the other tourists!The tree in the centre of the square is just as impressive as the church - and I'd be intrigued to know just how old that is.Worth a visit.

As many other reviewers have said, the totality of the Abbey, the village, the mountains and surrounding countryside make this well worth the trip. When our daughter lived in Montpelier, we came up in November with beautiful fall foliage and in April with the wisteria in bloom, though we're sure that this place is magical any time of year. If you're familiar with the pilgrimage routes to St. James de Compostela in Spain, you are probably aware that one of the routes goes right through St Gulihem. The abbey has history and artifacts and the remaining cloisters that were not taken to New York (at The Cloisters).If you are adventurous, take a hike up the hilly paths at the end of town and you will have great views of the village and it's mountain surroundings. There are some local artists that have nice shops and there are tucked away cafés where you can have a fireside lunch or a nice meal under the trees in one of the courtyards. It's quite a unique place.

Having seen the real remnants of the Abbey cloisters in the Cloisters Museum in New York, it was such a treat to see the actual place where these came from. It's amazing to have gone full circle (we loved the NYC Cloisters and didn't imagine that we would find ourselves visiting the real source of their collection someday). Nevertheless, the St Guilhem abbey still retains the solitude and atmosphere of medieval Christian worship. The cloister itself is now half of its original beauty (most of it now in New York) but set against the backdrop of the mountains it is still postcard perfect. The abbey bookshop opens from 2pm and you can buy an informative booklet about the village and its surrounds for €5.00, it had great info on the history of abbey. You can easily spend a good half hour wandering around here, it is lovely and peaceful, a sanctuary from the world outside.

This location is out of the way but worth the trip. lovely views of beautiful rugged countryside. Impressive old Abbey that is still in operation.