BETWEEN SEA AND LAGOONS

Incredible, an architectural heritage where medieval meets contemporary! Among the finest examples of Gothic art in Biterrois, dating from the 12th and 14th centuries: here is the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Grâce! There, facades of winemakers' houses stand next to the "la Cigalière" performance hall designed by architect Nicolas Guillot. An interesting hall for its glass backdrop. The forecourt and the public park located behind were designed and lit by the famous Daniel Buren, on a concept of radiating columns. And "the must" remains the Occitanie Regional Museum of Contemporary Art which presents "works" by artists from the 1960s to today. Guided tours are regular. It is a must-see artistic and tourist place. It offers, over 3,200 m², temporary exhibitions and a permanent collection, asserts strong artistic choices, supports both French and international artists, and invents new forms of art mediation. It is located in a former winery cellar. Did I tell you the vineyard has stories to tell! The exhibition rooms present large volumes bathed in natural light. Friendly and bright atmosphere! Daniel Buren, again him, with the work "Rotation" has encircled the entire museum by placing colors on all the glazed parts, creating visual effects both inside and outside the museum. Other works can be admired both outside and inside. Ancient and mysterious ruins between history and legends… Flavor break? Take advantage of it, stop by the Sérignan cooperative cellar created in 1935! If possible, attend guided tours in this authentic place of production. The best way to learn everything about the different works, from the vine to the glass, while watching the film "The Secrets of Wine," followed by a tasting initiation. Your choice can be among the surrounding estates, like Domaine de Querelle at the named Domaine de Querelle, where you will taste the winemakers' expertise. The "Soumestre," for example, (Occitan name for layering), a local promise, an Occitan resurgence, as well as hillside wines with the fruity roundness of the AOP Coteaux du Languedoc. These unique flavor experiences should be enjoyed in moderation!

At Valras-Plage, left bank, the fragile environment, rich in wildlife and flora, is protected. In front of the dune cordon, the highest in the French Mediterranean, the beach remains wild. The seawalk of this family resort invites you to relax and the "Dolce Vita." Children here are especially pampered. The municipality offers quality events throughout the year. On market days, the flavors, smells, and accents of the Midi invite you to taste local products! Also to see, The Model Palace, with its huge scenes made of Lego, distinguished by the Guinness Book of Records (reservation recommended). From Sérignan to Valras-Plage left bank: You will discover the natural site and Domaine des Orpellières, invested by the artist Dado (1933-2010). Acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral in 1980, the site extends over 150 hectares. A narrow strip of land where nature has given it all: beach, dunes, vast salt marshes and salt meadows succeed or interlock like a mosaic. The old buildings evoke a viticultural past, but glasswort has gradually replaced vine cultivation behind the dune cordon. The Orpellières, up to the Grande Maïre (a lagoon formed in the old estuary of the Orb), here is a beautiful preserved area; it remained for a long time a territory of fishermen and vineyards. Today, it is one of the biological and landscape riches of the region. You are welcome on foot, by MTB or pony on the trails… However, respect these fragile places, with their precarious balance!

Hérault, a land full of vines, offers many wine tourism options… everyone knows that! But also for all tastes. Domaine la Yole, for example, both a vineyard and a campsite, interested? The estate's name was born from the meeting between shipbuilding, the yole being a small sailing boat, and the work of the vine: The estate's history dates back to 1771; the cellars present on the Napoleonic cadastre were at the crossroads of three main roads bordered with pines. Vendres is also the southern village as one imagines it! Sloping alleys, a high perched church, a peaceful fountain, benches under the plane trees… From Place du Portail Viel, a superb panorama opens onto the nearby lagoon! Discover it on foot, overlooking it, then walking along it to the coast. The lagoon, a real little Camargue, constitutes one of the richest floristic environments. To see, the "Villa temple of Venus," offering mysterious ruins between history and legends… Not far from there, the shellfish port, the Chichoulet, (named after the small bird nesting in the lands), belongs to the Natura 2000 network. It harmoniously combines pleasure boating and activities of fishing and shellfish farming. In the mood for flavors? You are in the ideal place to taste oysters and mussels raised in open sea, it’s the address. You must stroll from kiosk to kiosk... These are not restaurants but possibilities for producers to sell take-away or to consume on site; you can even compose your own platters, with superb local wines at very reasonable prices… Highly recommended without hesitation. Along the route, you cannot miss them, these winemakers' huts! They are called "les mazets," scattered all over Hérault. They are the identity reflection of our vineyards. Built by the winemaker himself, they were built for shade and to store equipment; sometimes they also served as secondary houses. During harvest time, it was around them that lunch was taken. The particularity here? They have benefited from a modern update, by the intervention of the artistic agency "AT DOWN" and contemporary artists ZEST and Vania. What a great idea to enhance the urban landscape and tell you about traditions! Look closely, and you will admire: the sea, the vine, rugby, and more… open your eyes!

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Classification & labels: Vineyards and Discoveries

To discover: the Libron hillsides. The appellation includes 24 private or cooperative cellars from 13 municipalities. Landscapes of hills and small elevations to the north, transforming into terraces towards the south.