Bédarieux, in the heart of the Orb valleys
Our properties are in Bédarieux, a small Haut-Languedoc town nestled on the banks of the Orb, between vineyards and mountain foothills. On Monday mornings, its big market — one of the best known in the Hérault — fills the town centre with local producers: cheeses from the Monts d’Orb, fruit, olives and charcuterie. Shops, cafés and restaurants are all within walking distance of the property.
From the town, the Passa Païs greenway follows the old railway line through the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park: nearly 75 km of car-free track, perfect for cycling or a family outing. Walkers can climb the Pic du Tantajo, Bédarieux’s lookout, for a panorama stretching from the Cévennes to the Mediterranean.
Less than twenty minutes away: Lamalou-les-Bains and its Belle Époque spa-town atmosphere, the medieval village of Villemagne-l’Argentière, the hilltop hamlet of Boussagues, and the wine cellars of Faugères, where you can taste the famous schist wines.
Half an hour away: the Héric gorges at the foot of the Caroux — clear natural pools, mouflons and spectacular trails — Olargues, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, and, in the other direction, Lake Salagou and its red earth, with the dolomite cirque of Mourèze close by.
In about three quarters of an hour you can be in Béziers (the Fonseranes locks, the Canal du Midi, Saint-Nazaire cathedral) or Pézenas, the town of Molière and artisan crafts; the nearest sandy beaches (Valras, Sérignan) are around fifty minutes away. Allow just over an hour for Montpellier, or for Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and the Clamouse cave.
Practical matters: SNCF railway station in Bédarieux (Béziers–Millau line), the A75 half an hour away, and everything you need locally — supermarkets, pharmacies, doctors, a swimming pool and a cinema.