
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is situated in the ‘Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Languedoc’ and beautifully surrounded by wonderful nature and high cliffs. The medieval village will let you go back in time as you walk the narrow streets and admire the charming houses. No wonder this lovely village is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. So, let’s visit the home of the ‘sauterochers’ as the habitants are called (literally translated into ‘rock jumpers’).
Medieval village
It all started way back in the year 804 when Guilhem, Count of Toulouse, Duke of Aquitaine and cousin of Charlemagne, founded the Abbey of Gellone. Guilhem – Occitan for William – was renowned for his military actions against the Saracens to protect the southern border of the Frankish empire. After taking Barcelona in 803, he decided to lay down his weapons and become a monk. Charlemagne had given Guilhem a relic as a present containing pieces of the True Cross. Because of this relic, the Gellone Abbey attracted many pilgrims on the pilgrimage to Saint James’s Way or Santiago de Compostela. It became such a popular stop that eventually, a village was formed around the Abbey: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.

Old giant
Even today, the village along the- normally- gentle Verdus River is still very popular. Tourists mainly, I didn’t see many pilgrims… The weather was just perfect. Sunny, blue sky and a welcome burst of spring invited me for my first ice cream of the year, which I enjoyed at the foot of the over 150-year-old plane tree at Place de la Liberté. This old giant is hard to miss with its circumference of 6.7 meters, proudly dominating the square since 20 January 1855 (!). As it had been raining, water flowed abundantly through the Verdus River, which isn’t always the case because of drought. I could finally witness the waterfall with the village and the abbey in the background, walking along the Grande Chemin du Val de Gellone. And a bit further, on the corner with the Avenue Guillaume d’Orange, there was another smaller cascade.

Olive oil
From the main square, I took the little alley right from the tourist office, which took me to the Rue Cor de Nostra Dona. In case you’re hungry, you will find many restaurants around. The ice cream satisfied my hunger, though, so I continued to the Rue Chapelle des Pénitents, which turned into Rue de la Descente du Portal. Here, several little shops sell local and original products made of wood, cork or soap, for example. You will also find some excellent olive oil, as Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert used to be an olive oil producer. Half a century ago, the surrounding landscape was completely different. Until the 1940s, over 30,000 trees provided an important income to the villagers. However, a terrible frost in 1956 destroyed most of these ‘oliviers’, thus cutting off an economic resource. But nowadays, you will find some new producers again.

Cardabelle
As I explored the village further, I saw some dried flowers hanging on several doors. Curious as I am, I asked a local about the meaning of these dried thistles. He explained that it was a ‘Cardabelle’, or ‘Soleil des Herbes’ (Sun of the Weeds) as the Larzac shepherds call it. Farmers hang these ‘suns’ on the gates of their barns and stables to give protection to their animals. If the Cardabelle is dried and hung on your house, it will bring luck. It’s also a natural weather forecaster: when the flower’s heart closes, rain is coming soon. Even dried flowers have this gift! You see, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert will surprise you when you take the time to get to know it.
