Montagne: Wine and Heritage

Explore Montagne through several themes: winegrowing, the history of its churches and château, and routes through the wine-growing landscape. When planning your stay, consider whether you would like to focus on wine tours, historic buildings, or an outdoor route. The sites and activities vary considerably in their history and visitor arrangements.

Winegrowing and appellation

The Montagne-Saint-Émilion Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée was established by a decree dated 14 November 1936. Its wines are exclusively red. The regional landscape includes vineyards on predominantly clay- and limestone-rich hills and plateaus, and 1,600 hectares of vines.

The Maison des Vins is in the centre of Montagne and welcomes visitors year-round to discover its producers’ wines. As opening arrangements may change, check them before your visit. Château Saint-Georges offers a wine-themed tour of its aromatic garden. Another tour takes visitors through the fermentation room and barrel cellar and ends with a tasting of two vintages. Check booking details in advance.

Churches and architectural history

The church of Saint-Georges was built in the 11th century on older Roman ruins. The church of Saint-Martin in Montagne dates from the 12th century. Notre Dame de Parsac also dates from the 12th century; it is considered the smallest church in the commune of Montagne. These dates refer to different historical periods: the traces mentioned at Saint-Georges reach back to Roman times, while the other two churches date to the Middle Ages.

Château Saint-Georges should not be confused with the church of the same name: the château was built in the 15th century and rebuilt in the 18th century. On a tour, you can visit the fermentation room and barrel cellar; the tour ends with a tasting of two vintages. The aromatic garden is part of a separate wine-themed tour. If you are interested in both experiences, check the booking details for each tour separately.

Châteaux and traces of Malengin

Château des Tours is privately owned. Its historic features include 14th-century towers and a chapel outside the enclosure. The underground refuges of Malengin, the ruins of Château de Malengin, and the Malengin millstone-working site are also privately owned. The refuges date from the 6th century; the château ruins and millstone-working site date from the 12th century.

Mills and circular routes

The windmills on the Calon hill date from the 17th century and were in operation until 1930. The Moulins de Calon comprise five windmills, including two restored mills with sails. Visits are possible by prior arrangement; please book in advance. The number of mills and their preserved sails make this a different historical focus from the churches and châteaux.

To explore the wine-growing landscape, take the 4 km loop through the Bois de Bonde. Designed as an educational trail for interpreting the landscape, it was developed and is maintained by the Ecomusée du Libournais. Another option is the 6 km family cycling loop, “Montagne et Saint-Georges en famille,” which passes through the vineyards of Montagne-Saint-Émilion and Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion. The two routes differ in length and focus: the Bois de Bonde loop explores the landscape, while the cycling route combines this theme with a ride through the vineyards.

The Fontmurée washhouse has a picnic area. As the condition of facilities may change, check before your visit. Together, the mills, routes, and historic buildings offer different ways to spend time in Montagne, though not every site offers the same kind of visit.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Saint-Jean-De-Blaignac, Gours, Le Puy, Soulac-Sur-Mer, Saint-Sulpice-Et-Cameyrac, Eyrans, Dieulivol, Cubzac-Les-Ponts.

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