Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

Guilhem, Count of Toulouse, founded the abbey of Gellone here in 804, when the valley was almost empty: the desert of the village's name. Houses rise in tiers along the Verdus stream to where it meets the gorge of the Hérault, and a relic of the True Cross made the abbey a great medieval pilgrimage stop. Part of its cloister now stands in The Cloisters museum in New York.

Highlights

• Abbaye de Gellone, the Romanesque abbey listed as World Heritage
• Walk up the Verdus to the Cirque de l'Infernet, about 1h15 return
• Pont du Diable nearby, for swimming and kayaking on the Hérault (FR)
• Maison Lorimy, the finest Romanesque façade in the village
• Summer concerts in the abbey and the Penitents' chapel

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.