Castelnau-de-Guers is situated on a rocky outcrop above the Hérault Valley. The medieval town centre is arranged around fortification walls that are still visible.
Culture
The Church of Saint-Sulpice was first mentioned in 1116 and rebuilt in the first half of the 14th century. It has a single-nave structure with four bays and a seven-sided apse.
The Château de Castelnau-de-Guers was built in the 13th century. It includes the Romanesque Chapelle Saint-Jean; two towers from the former fortifications have also been preserved. The Tour de l’Horloge was built on a defensive tower of the fortified complex.
A copy of the Early Christian sarcophagus of Piquetalen is displayed in the town hall of Castelnau-de-Guers. The Chapelle Saint-Nicolas de Tapulsiac can also be discovered in the preserved natural surroundings of Castelnau-de-Guers.
Nature
The Ermitage Saint-Antoine circular hiking trail from Castelnau-de-Guers leads through vineyards and garrigue to the ruins of the hermitage and the geological feature l’Etendoir des Fées. This is a 50-million-year-old layer of pink sandstone smoothed by erosion, measuring 200 metres in length and 50 metres in width. Numerous paths run through the undergrowth around its location, with technically challenging and playful variants for cycling.
Getting Around
Castelnau-de-Guers can be reached via Cap-Bus route 7 operated by the Agglomération Hérault Méditerranée. Parking for the Ermitage Saint-Antoine hike is signposted at the village cemetery of Castelnau-de-Guers.
Those considering Castelnau-de-Guers as a travel destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.
More destination pages: La Vacquerie-Et-Saint-Martin-De-Castries, Bédarieux, Aniane, Prémian, Le Pouget, Grabels, Vailhan, Mourèze
