Discover Langlade: Moulin Cavalier, wine and heritage

If you are considering Langlade as a destination, you can plan your trip around three distinct interests: routes, heritage and wine. When looking for a hotel in Langlade, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay. The Voie Verte de la Vaunage, the history of the Temple de Langlade and the Moulin Cavalier, and the wine offerings at Château Langlade and Domaine Arnal provide specific starting points. You do not need to give these themes equal weight: architecture and history can be just as compelling as the landscape or wine.

Routes, landscape and timing

The Voie Verte de la Vaunage passes through the commune of Langlade. A very easy route, it is 19.2 kilometres long and takes about two hours. Its route has few road crossings; at two points, it passes beneath the RD40 departmental road.

The “Capitelles et Oppida” mountain biking trail has a different focus: it follows paths once used by Celts and Romans. Along the route are stone shepherds’ shelters known as capitelles. The two routes raise different planning considerations: the Voie Verte has an approximate duration and distance, while the mountain biking trail is notable for its historical paths and capitelles.

The history of the church and mill

The Temple de Langlade is located in the former Romanesque church of Saint-Julien. The original church was fortified in the 15th century. A machicolated walkway may have connected the nave to the choir, high up along the exterior walls. This building therefore brings together its Romanesque origins and the fortifications added later, while the possible connection between the nave and choir remains a tentative interpretation.

Several layers of history come together at the Moulin Cavalier. Its origins date back to the 13th century, and it also appears on the 1634 Tassin map. Its name recalls a stop made by the Camisard leader Jean Cavalier on 16 April 1704. The authentically restored mill can turn and grind grain when the wind is suitable. The mill thus combines a long history with a specific function that depends on the wind.

Wine, terroir and tastings

The Château Langlade vineyard covers about 22 hectares in the garrigue, particularly on the stony, clay-limestone soils of the terroir known as “Vieux Langlade.” Here, the term terroir can be understood through specific features of the landscape and soil.

Wines from the AOC Coteaux du Languedoc and Vins de Pays d’Oc are available for tasting and purchase at Château Langlade. Domaine Arnal produces, sells and offers tastings of wines from the AOC Coteaux du Languedoc and Vins de Pays de la Vaunage. The two wine offerings therefore share one designation; their other listed category differs. At Domaine Arnal, visitors are sometimes taken into the vineyards to better understand the terroir. As visitor arrangements may change and vineyard visits are offered only sometimes, check the current options in advance.

Discover more destinations: Fons, Saint-André-De-Valborgne, Lirac, Saint-Hyppolyte-Du-Fort, Carnas, Villeneuve-Lès-Avignon, Génolhac, Canaules-Et-Argentières

For the broader travel overview: Gard.