A village of vines between garrigue and plain
Saint-Georges-d-Orques has 5,676 inhabitants on 9.3 square kilometres, west of Montpellier, with a sharp increase in population since 1962. The village is classified in zone of controlled label of origin AOC Languedoc Saint-Georges-d-Orques, a wine area that also extends on Juvignac, Lavérune, Pignan and Murviel-lès-Montpellier. Here, the vine gradually replaced livestock, cereals and olive trees, and the wine from the region was already exported throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. In 1807 Thomas Jefferson, then ambassador and future president of the United States, brought back several bottles of this terroir from his stay in France. On the facade of the cooperative cellar and on the church front, bas-reliefs represent St.Georges terrorizing the dragon, echoing the legend of the patron saint of the village.
14 minutes between vineyards and downtown
From the accommodation, Saint-Georges-d-Orques meets in 9.7 kilometers and about 14 minutes drive, in fluid circulation. The village has no trams : you go there by car, through the axes that cross Pignan and Lavérune, two communes of the same wine area. On the way back, Line 2 is a 7 minute walk from the accommodation to Montpellier without driving again.
Tambourin, rugby to XIII and Camargua races
The village has unusual sports traditions in the region. The tambourine game, the traditional sport of Languedoc, has been practiced there for generations : the local club won six French champion titles between 1965 and 1973, and three Coupes de France. Since 2013, the rugby club in XIII of the "Dragons de Saint-Georges" offers a rugby school and a leisure section. The Michel Laurens arenas, named in 1981, welcome each season Camargua races as part of regional trophies, worn by the Taurin Club Le Trident.
Three parks to blow between two visits
The village has several green spaces accessible on foot from the centre : the Esplanade de la Gaillarde, Hippolyte Courty Park and Municipal Park. You can take a break from the road to Montpellier or the other wine villages in the west.
A local expression of drought
During the great drought of the mid 1940s, a project imagined diverting the Rhone to the vicinity of Saint-Georges-d'Orques. The anecdote has become a local expression : it is still said of a liar that "the Rhone is in flood at Saint-Georges-d-Orques" to emphasize the rudeness of his lie. In economic terms, 610 establishments are located in the municipality, 141 of them in the construction sector, well above the departmental average. The village horseball club is one of nine clubs in the South East region and participates in international competitions for young riders.
For whom this base makes sense
- A discovery of the vineyard AOC Languedoc Saint-Georges-d-Orques, Pignan and Lavérune visit each other at the same address.
- A Camargue race or a rugby match at XIII : the arenas and stadium meet in 14 minutes, with free parking on return.
- A stay that alternates countryside and city : the tram stays 7 minutes on foot for the evenings in Montpellier.
Studio or duplex for this stay
For a couple coming to follow a Camargue race or visit the cellars, the studio, with its double bed and equipped kitchen, is enough. To many, the duplex offers two bedrooms and a washing machine, useful for a stay of several nights between two village visits. Both units share the same address in downtown Saint-Jean-de-Védas, with a self-catering arrival and a possible stay from one night.
To extend the discovery of the wine villages of the West, the page dedicated to Lavérune details the estate of the Engarran and the castle park of the Bishops.
