A village perched between two nearby neighbours
Saussan has 2,069 inhabitants and occupies a hill with a peak of 53 meters, around the remains of his old castellas. The village overlooks Pignan and Fabrègues, its two closest neighbours, located only 2 kilometers away. Six other communes are located between 6.2 and 9 kilometres by flight : Saint-Jean-de-Védas, Cournonterral, Murviel-lès-Montpellier, Saint-Georges-d'Orques, Juvignac and Cournonsec. The Mediterranean Sea is about 15 kilometers away, and Saussan remains in Montpellier.
Eight minutes to reach the accommodation
From the old village, the road measures 5.7 kilometres and runs in 8 minutes to the centre of Saint-Jean-de-Védas. You will keep the calm of the hill during the day, with quick access to the A709 and the A9 to go back to Montpellier or to the coast, and the tram within walking distance in the evening, 7 minutes from the accommodation.
A protected site for plain birds
The commune is concerned by the Natura 2000 site of the plain of Fabrègues-Poussan, an area of 3,288 hectares suitable for rare species such as the pink-breasted shrike, the roller-tree of Europe and the duck-tree. The same plain is also inventoried as a natural area of ecological interest on 3,330 hectares, shared with seven other communes in the area.
A name from a Gallo-Roman domain
The name Saussan derives from that of a Gallo-Roman domain, Celsius, increased from suffix -anum : one finds its ancient forms, from Salsano then Saussan, in texts dating back to the twelfth century. The Roman occupation of the territory is attested in several points of the municipality, with a section of the Domitian way which crosses it from east to west. In the 20th century, the village was also the retreat of Protestant pastor Roby Bois, former secretary general of the Cimade, who lived there until 2009. The excavations carried out at several sites in the commune revealed, among other things, a statuette of Venus in white soil and a carved ivory knife, witness to a continuing Roman occupation of this territory.
A village economy, between vineyards and local shops
133 establishments are located in Saussan, 37 of them in trade, transport, accommodation and catering, or 27.8% of the total, a figure close to the departmental average of 28%. Seven farms have their headquarters in the commune, compared with 29 in 1988 on a used agricultural area of 53 hectares : viticulture remains the dominant activity, even though the number of farms has declined significantly over the decades.
Old village, school and cemetery
The village retains its elementary and elementary school Joseph-Delteil, its church of the Nativity-of-Saint-Jean-Baptiste and an old chapel of penitents, close to the cemetery and the Bois de Garenne. None of this is like a classified tourist site : it is a village that has kept its life clean, without turning into a setting for passers-by, making it a relaxing step rather than an attraction in itself.
For whom this base makes sense
- A quiet stop before radiating towards the villages of Montpellieran west, all located less than 9 kilometers from Saussan.
- A stay focused on local viticulture, between Saussan and neighbouring estates.
- A drop point for anyone who wants the hill by day and the tram by night: the studio and the duplex are 8 minutes' drive from Saussan.
- A stay of several days to explore, in turn, Saussan, Pignan and Fabrègues, 2 kilometers apart.
