BOUCLE CYCLO N°10 - BETWEEN THE BUÈGES AND HÉRAULT VALLEYS

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You'll depart from Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois, a village on the banks of the Hérault that grew up around the silk stocking industry. In the village, don't hesitate to visit Saint-Baudile church, dating from the 10th century and rebuilt in the 19th, or the inn housed in a former spinning mill.

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After a brief passage on the D108, turn right and follow the D108E2 towards Agonès and Brissac. Here, you follow the course of the Hérault, admiring its blue-green waters. Agonès stretches along the right bank of the Hérault. The village has preserved the remains of an ancient castrum built to defend the narrow Hérault gorge, which connects the Ganges plain with that of Saint-Bauzille de Putois. As you leave the village, continue on the D108E3 before turning left onto the D4 (caution: this is an exposed section in the event of a tramontane wind) towards Brissac.

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You arrive in Brissac, a quiet village and an island of greenery in the middle of the garrigue. Its park, with its majestic trees and the Avèze, a river fed by "a hundred springs", is a pleasant place for a stroll. Take the D108 and then the D1 to Saint-Jean-de-Buèges. First you climb up, admiring the imposing church of Notre-Dame-de-Suc clinging to the mountain slopes on your left, and the Virgin Mary dominating the landscape, before starting your descent.

4

At the junction with the DE1E1 on your left, the short detour to Saint-André-de-Buèges (3 km round trip) is definitely worthwhile. First you come to the Romanesque church of Saint-André, built in the 12th century, remarkable for its elegance and pure lines, a witness to Lombard architecture: arcatures, gear teeth... The area is as quiet as you could wish for. Then take the short climb down to the Buèges River and admire the Romanesque bridge that crosses it. You're at the end of the world... After this detour, take the D1 towards Saint-Jean-de-Buèges. One climb later, you're back down through the vineyards and olive groves of the Buèges valley.

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You're now in Saint-Jean-de-Buèges, a pretty village surrounded by mountains and nestled against the imposing Roc de Tras Castel. At the foot of the Séranne cliffs, this medieval village is protected by the feudal château de Baulx and its beautiful towers. Below is the Romanesque church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, a listed historic monument. It's a real pleasure to stroll along its narrow streets or stop off at a café in a shady square.

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After Saint-Jean-de-Buèges, take the D122. Be careful, the slope is quite steep! The descent to Causse-de-la-Selle takes you through scrubland, which serves as a passage between the course of the Hérault and Buèges rivers.

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Causse-de-la-Selle is home to some hidden treasures among the boxwoods and cades, from which transhumant herds still come and go: dolmens, menhirs, the Liquisse tower (12th c.). After the village, take the D4 down to the meandering Hérault river.

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At the medieval bridge at Saint-Etienne-d'Issensac, pause for a moment of contemplation or a swim before getting back on the road. Set in a picture-postcard setting, this bathing area (supervised in July and August) on the Hérault river is ideal for cooling off and enjoying the medieval bridge or the pretty 12th-century Romanesque chapel, once the center of a rural parish made up of isolated farmhouses. Come on, one last effort. Follow the meandering Hérault for a while, still on the D4, before turning right before Brissac onto the D4E12/D108 towards Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois, your starting point.

Hérault à Vélo" road signs

+33 4 67 67 71 71

Hérault Tourisme

Hérault Vélo