Villeveyrac, between garrigue and wine plain
Villeveyrac has 3,972 inhabitants, some 30 kilometres southwest of Montpellier and some 20 kilometres northwest of Sète. The commune, bordering eight villages, extends over the plain of Villeveyrac-Montagnac, classified Natura 2000 on 5,265 hectares for its ornithological interest, notably favourable to the Pink-breasted Pie-grièche and the Crecerellette Falcon, two species of high heritage value for the region. Three hundred and fifty establishments are located in the commune, and agriculture, which has long been dominant, has fallen sharply : farms have fallen from 295 in 1988 to 84 in 2020, although the agricultural area used remains large at the village level.
Twenty-nine minutes to Valmagne Abbey
From Saint-Jean-de-Védas, it takes 29 minutes for 32.6 kilometers. It is an exit that is planned for a half-day, with Valmagne Abbey as a must-see point before continuing to the old village, the surrounding lakes or the nearby villages of the Thau Basin.
The Cistercian Abbey and the Dolmen the Table of the Romans
The Cistercian abbey of Valmagne, with its abbey, dominates the heritage of the municipality. The village also preserves the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, a chapel of the White Penitents and a Protestant temple, traces a history marked by the Huguenot revolt of 1620 and the restoration of the Catholic Mass in 1622, under the authority of the army of King Louis XIII, then en route to Montpellier. Further offshore, the dolmen of the Table of Romans recalls a much older occupation of the territory. Since 1888, the harmony "La Jeune France" has animated the festivals and ceremonies of the village, a musical tradition that has passed through generations without interruption for more than a century.
The Veydrac, a local legend
Like several villages in the Hérault, Villeveyrac has its totemic animal : the Veydrac, a legendary creature halfway between the boar and the pecari, first released during a children's carnival in 1988. The legend tells that he was feeding on black truffles and that a child from the village ended up taming. Today it comes out during the carnival, the feast of the broom, the feast of the village and the feast of the truffle.
A medieval garden and two lakes for the family
Next to the abbey, a medieval garden offers another stage for a family outing. The lakes of Saint-Farriol and Loulivet complete the landscape, alongside a traditional wash, this stone basin once used to water livestock. For sport, the municipality has a gymnasium, a dojo, a boulodrome, tennis courts and a football stadium, with a sports hall opened in 2021.
For whom this step makes sense
- A family visit The abbey of Valmagne, the medieval garden and the dolmen combine easily over the same half-day, with the legend of Veydrac to interest the youngest.
- A natural exit : the plain of Villeveyrac-Montagnac and its protected birds seduce amateurs who want to get off the beaten track.
- A step before the basin of Thau : Villeveyrac combines well with a day to Poussan or Montbazin, on the coastal road.
Studio or duplex before the Abbey
For a two-way, the studio enough, with its kitchen equipped for a picnic near the abbey. Family, the duplex offers two bedrooms, three beds and a washing machine, convenient after a day of visit. Both units are in downtown Saint-Jean-de-Védas, where one night is enough to book. Towards the west, the page dedicated to Poussan extends the selection around the basin of Thau.
