Aniane, at the outlet of the gorges of the Hérault
Aniane has 2,979 inhabitants on 30.3 square kilometres, 35 kilometres northwest of Montpellier and 36 metres above sea level. Located at the end of the Herault gorges and at the beginning of the valley of the same name, the village has always occupied a crossroads position. The gorges of l'Hérault, classified Natura 2000, cut down a limestone massif that remained untouched by large infrastructures, where the forests of Salzmann pines are preserved.
Twenty-nine minutes to the Carolingian Abbey
From the accommodation, the road measures 34.8 kilometres and runs in 29 minutes. The Abbey of Aniane was founded in 782 by St. Benoît d'Aniane, son of a Goth count first in the service of Charlemagne, who devoted himself to monastic life after the death of his brother during the siege of Pavia. The monastery followed the rule of its homonym Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine order.
The Devil's Bridge, towards Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
The Saint-Sauveur Abbey of Aniane, listed as a historic monument in 2002, still dominates the centre of the village, alongside the chapel of the Penitents, registered in 2010. At the exit of Aniane, the bridge of the Devil crossed the Hérault towards Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert : it is one of the oldest medieval bridges in France, and one of the passages forced to climb the gorges.
The site had a very different use in the 19th century : in 1845 the state installed a central house of force and correction for 500 prisoners, and then a house of supervision from 1885, closed in 1994. Since 2010, the abbatial and prison complex, purchased by the Communauté de communes Vallée de l'Hérault, has been the subject of a cultural rehabilitation project : archaeological excavations carried out between 2011 and 2016 revealed the entrance of the Romanesque cloister, and the restoration of a chapel of about 250 places began in 2024.
A vineyard that has become a reference, since 1974
The winery of Aniane, located near two Carolingian abbeys that once revived the cultivation of the vine, produces wines classified as terraces-du-larzac, in the hills-du-languedoc. The establishment, in 1974, of the Mas de Daumas Gassac gave this terroir an international reputation, far beyond the department. The attempt by the Californian group Mondavi to establish itself there, at the turn of the 2000s, however, failed in the face of the refusal of the local population.
The municipality also maintains an ancient olive tradition, carried since 1920 by the establishments Salles, founded by Étienne Salles for the collection, preparation and marketing of country olives, before diversifying their activity to other condiments from the 1970s. Aniane has 315 establishments registered at the end of 2019, more than a quarter of which are in commerce and accommodation.
For whom this base makes sense
- A Herault Valley Day : Abbey, Devil's Bridge and gorges combine easily from Aniane.
- Wine tasting in a recognized vineyard, to be integrated into a wider stay on the Languedoc winery.
- A strong heritage curiosity, between Carolingian heritage and more recent cultural project around the former Abbey.
Studio or duplex before a Herault Valley day
For a two-way exit to Aniane and the gorges, the studio offers the essential before a long day of road and visit. Family or several, the duplex It allows this exit to be spread over several days, between the Herault valley and the centre of Montpellier. Both units are located in downtown Saint-Jean-de-Védas, with quick access to the A709 to drive to the northwest of the department.
The page devoted to Gignac details another stage on the Herault Valley Road.
