Discover Montouliers

When looking for a hotel in Montouliers, you can start by deciding which aspect of the village particularly interests you: its architectural history, the Calades or the Mediterranean landscape. Each of these themes offers its own points of interest. The Église Saint-Baudile brings together an early mention, a Romanesque altar, a Gothic figure and its location on an ancient motte-and-bailey mound. Alongside these, the cobbled lanes and the surroundings of vineyards and garrigue offer other perspectives on the village.

Église Saint-Baudile and architectural history

The Église Saint-Baudile is mentioned as early as 940 in a donation by Aymeri, the Archbishop of Narbonne, to the Abbey of Saint-Pons-de-Thomière. An altar from the Romanesque period has been restored in the church. It also houses a Gothic stone figure of Saint Baudile, which is classified as a historic monument. The altar and figure belong to different art-historical periods: the altar dates from the Romanesque period, while the sculpture is Gothic. This makes it possible to distinguish different historical and artistic references within the church without reducing them to the same period.

The church’s location is also part of its architectural history. It stands on an ancient motte-and-bailey mound surrounded by walls from various periods. The site thus brings together religious artworks and a fortification. Anyone interested in historic buildings can take note both of the church’s long-documented history and of the different periods represented by the surrounding walls.

Timber structure and Calades

The Cathédrale de Dentelle de Bois offers a different architectural feature: its cathedral-like structure is made up of numerous pieces of wood. It is located in a former wine cellar that an artist from Montouliers converted into a studio and living space. The timber structure and the building’s former use offer two different insights into the architecture of the village.

The Calades of Montouliers are sloping lanes paved with pebbles, a traditional Mediterranean road surface. Their stones are linked to fieldwork: farmers removed them while cultivating their fields and used them to create the Calades. Knowing about this origin adds an agricultural perspective to the view of the paving. The sloping layout and pebbles are defining features of these lanes; they make the Calades a different aspect of the village from the church’s architectural history.

The Fontaine Romaine lies at the edge of the village. A 200 m-long tunnel channels water there to a livestock trough beneath a vault carved into the rock. The fountain provides water and coolness throughout the year. Check local conditions before visiting. The tunnel, vault and livestock trough offer another perspective on the practical use of water in Montouliers.

Landscape, walks and travel planning

The hill of Montouliers is surrounded by vineyards and garrigue and is covered with olive trees and Mediterranean plants such as thyme, rosemary and broom. From the hill and the church tower, views extend to the Monts du Narbonnais and across the Minervois, the Canal du Midi and the vineyards. Montouliers lies between the two major appellations of Minervois and Saint-Chinian. Around the village, the landscape offers walks through Mediterranean garrigue and among vineyards, olive trees, thyme and rosemary. The views and landscape are therefore distinct points of interest alongside the historic buildings and cobbled lanes.

Another option for planning your trip is the Route médiévale à travers le vignoble du Minervois. It is 29 km long, designed for cars or motorcycles, and intended to take half a day or a full day. For this route, the means of transport, length and time frame are specified; by contrast, the walks around Montouliers pass through garrigue and among the plants and vineyards mentioned above. These different details can help you decide what kind of outing to plan. Route details may change, so check the current route before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Octon, Cessenon-Sur-Orb, Jacou, Fontanès, Ceilhes-Et-Rocozels, Assignan, Castelnau-De-Guers, Abeilhan.

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