Places of Interest & Leisure Pursuits:

Local

Roquebrun - 15 minutes drive - is a beautiful medieval village, overlooking the Orb river. For canoeing, there are 11 kms of rapids through gorges. For canoe hire, see website www.canoe-france.com. A popular restaurant overlooks the river and weir. Sunbathe to the relaxing sounds of the river.

Behind the town and terraced into the mountain side are the Mediterranean Gardens which are open to visitors all year round.

Canal du Midi - The canal joins the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas (240 km). Finished in 1856 by 13,000 workers, it has 328 works of engineering art (bridges, barrages, locks, aqueducts and tunnels). The banks are lined on both sides with 45,000 mature plane trees. The shady paths (for walking/cycling) are wide and well-maintained. Small motor boats can be hired for the day.

Cycling
St. Chinian has a modern bicycle shop where bikes can be hired. There are many quiet roads with gorgeous scenery as well as the Canal du Midi paths to cycle on. The Tour de France passes nearby in summer.

Fetes
Because St. Chinian is a prosperous wine-growing town, no expense is spared on entertaining its population and visitors, especially in the summer - outdoor parties, cabaret, BBQs and fireworks - see the St. Chinian website above for this year's agenda. There are Fetes all through the area in every village in the summer.

Oppidum d'Enserune (Roman Ruins)
Enserune is on a lone hill in the middle of a plain, so has a commanding view of the countryside and is also close to the Canal du Midi. It is a site of ancient civilisations (from Bronze Age). The Roman settlement has been excavated and a museum of artefacts is open to the public all year round. It also overlooks the village of Montady.

Gorges of Herault
You can spend a relaxing day, walking, picnicing and swimming in the gorges. You can also travel up the mountain passes by a small steam train, see web www.wwsa.ch/stt.

St.Pons
St. Pons is a pretty town in the mountains (www.saint-pons-tourisme.com). You can visit its limestone caves (Grottes) and marble quarry. Further into the mountains there are large lakes and picnic sites with spendid views. The source of Salvetat mineral water is here.

Caroux
Caroux is an enormous limestone mountain overlooking the area of St. Chinian. Locally is called "femme allongée" - the reclining woman. The legend has it, that Zeus (the God of Love) ravished a princess and she turned herself into stone. There is a national footpath over the plateau and also rock climbing takes place there.

Bize
This local town on the banks of the lovely Cesse river is famous for its superb olives and goats cheese. There are a string of rock pools for swimming - the water is regularly checked for any possible contamination.

Further Afield

Béziers
Is a medieval cathedral town of boulevards, boutiques, parks, churches, medieval bridges, street cafes and restaurants. Béziers has its Fete is July and the Feria - 4 days of bullfighting, celebrations, street parties in August. Béziers is 30 minutes drive from St. Chinian or an hour on the bus.

Castles
The fairytale castle of Carcassone is 2500 years old. Within the castle walls is a living city with houses, shops, restaurants and schools. On Bastille Day (July 14), there is a spectacular firework display from the castle walls. There are many other Cathar castles and abbeys in the regions to visit www.cathares.org.

The Mediterranean Coast
Valras Plage is our nearest beach (about 30-40 minutes drive). It has fine, golden sand, many restaurants and the Orb river provides a safe haven for boating. For those who prefer an open beach - Serignan Plage has kilometres of soft, golden sand. There is a lagoon behind the beach where flamingos can be seen during the winter months. There is a stable where horses can be hired by the hour or day.

Sete and Palavas are fishing towns with many fine fish and shell food restaurants and a lively holiday atmosphere. From the top of the hill of Mont St. Clair at Sete, there is a panoramic view of the beaches, causeway, lagoon, mussel and oyster beds, and the terminus point of the Canal du Midi and the Rhone river. Sete has a spectacular firework display on the river in the centre of town in August. A carnival procession ends the evening.

Sports
There are many sporting activities in the area, including paragliding, gliding, archery, diving, sailing and other water sports.

Restaurants
In St. Chinian there are five restaurants, plus there are several other fine restaurants in the area for lunches and dinners. There are 3 street cafes where meals can be had outside. They range from 10 to 35 euros formula menus to a la carte. Bezier and Montpellier also have a wide range of eateries.

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