The best MTB trails around Pinet

Beautiful view of the Saint-Etienne Cathedral (built from volcanic rock, basalt from Mont Saint-Loup) and the Hérault river.

About 2.5 km east of Castelnau-de-Guers, in the heart of the pines, this small chapel preserves the memory of a place much older than itself. The site is attested as early as 1106 under the name Ecclesiam S. Nicholay de Talpussiac. Archaeological surveys carried out in 1992 also revealed nearby the remains of a rural settlement from late antiquity, testifying to an ancient occupation of the area. The current chapel, with an oblong plan, is much more recent: it was consecrated in 1819 and is now disused. It is located on the edge of the fishmonger's path (cami peissonier), an ancient route connecting the Étang de Thau area to Pézenas.

🌊 The Hérault – a river with history 🇫🇷 The Hérault is located in the South of France and even gives its name to the entire Hérault department. It is around 148 kilometers long and originates in the Cévennes at Mont Aigoual. From there, it flows south until it finally flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Grau d’Agde. Since antiquity, the river has played an important role. The Romans knew it by the name „Arauris“. Settlements, agriculture, and trade routes emerged along its course. A particularly impressive testament to this era is the Pont du Diable near Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert – one of the oldest medieval bridges in France. Over the centuries, the Hérault was used for agriculture, irrigation, fishing, and transport. Its lower section near Agde is particularly interesting: here, the Hérault meets the Canal du Midi, which has provided an important water connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic since the 17th century. Just before the Mediterranean, the river finally divides Agde and Grau d’Agde, shaping the landscape around the coast. Even today, you can see fishing boats, small ferries, and numerous leisure boats there. ⛵ What makes the Hérault special for us: You can encounter it by bike for many kilometers, time and again – sometimes in the middle of nature, sometimes at small harbors and restaurants, and finally where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. 🚲🌊🇫🇷 A river that has shaped the history and landscape of this region for centuries. Greetings, Marcus

🌊 The last meters of the Hérault The last 500 meters of the Hérault to the Mediterranean Sea are particularly beautiful: along the bank in Grau d’Agde, small shops, restaurants, and terraces with a view of the river line up. 🍽️⚓🌊 Here you can have a leisurely meal, watch the boats, or simply stroll along the water. Various boat tours also start from here, including towards the Canal du Midi, Étang de Thau, and Cap d’Agde. ⛵ And finally, after about 148 kilometers, the journey of the Hérault ends – it flows directly into the Mediterranean Sea. 🇫🇷🌊 For us, one of the most beautiful sections: water, boats, small restaurants, and at the end, the view of the open sea. ❤️

The AOP Picpoul de Pinet is the most important white grape variety in terms of production volume in Occitania. It gets its freshness from the proximity of the étang de Thau. Here you cross the vineyard and its landscapes mixing the green of the vine, the blue of the sky and the red of the earth.

Interesting section of the cycle path built as a wooden boardwalk.

A remarkable geological site, worthy of the fairy legend! The rock that constitutes it is a sandstone (detrital rock) with a carbonate cement and not a limestone. Differential erosion has shaped this landscape into natural basins.

A few hundred meters from the village of Castelnau-de-Guers, in the middle of a pine wood, the Saint-Nicolas-de-Talpusiac chapel was built on a hill at the foot of which passes the fishermen's path (cami peissonier) connecting the Étang de Thau to Pézenas. The chapel is mentioned in 1106 under the name "Ecclesiam S. Nicholay de Talpussiac". The name Talpussiac, translated as "Talpussiac's domain", suggests an ancient origin for the site. Archaeological surveys near the chapel led to the discovery in 1992 of the site of a rural settlement from late Antiquity. The current chapel, oblong in plan, and its south and west facades are pierced by a door. It was consecrated in 1819, but is now disused.