Loupian is a village that developed near the site of a 1st century Roman villa, near the Etang de Thau and west of Sete in Languedoc Rousssillon. The town contains several streets of attractive ancient houses to explore, and some notable highlights, while the nearby roman villa contains exceptional mosaics.
Explore Loupian
Exploring the compact centre of Loupian, the first thing you will see is a part of the original fortifications of the village that still remains, including the 14th century fortified gates, some sections of wall and the clock tower.
There are two churches in Loupian - in the village centre is the roman style Chapel of Saint-Hippolyte, a fortified church with some very unusual characteristics such as the facade, with a decorative stone entrance surrounded by a larger stone arch, the fortified five-sided chevet to the rear, and small towers to front and rear.
Next to the Chapel of Saint-Hippolyte is the Town Hall, once a manor house for a local lord and featuring lots of interesting architectural highlights, such as ornately carved windows and a small tower in the wall. Also close by, the Maison Garcia is a 16th century house with sculptural carved wooden elements.
Elsewhere in the centre of Loupian you will see the Chapel of the Penitents, a 17th century clocktower above a stone gateway, and many other small architectural highlights.
A little outside the town you can see the substantial gothic style Church of Saint-Cecile, built in the 14th century to a very austere design.
Next to the church, archaeological work has found the traces of a much older 'church', possibly dating from the 4th century and one of very few examples of such an early religious monument. Although the details of the structure remain unclear, it seems likely that baptisms played an important role.
The Roman Villa of Loupian
The significant remains of a Roman villa can be seen at Pres-Bas, one kilometre away from Loupian. The villa was originally an storage depot for wine before its export from the port in the nearby Etang de Thau.
The substantial excavations have revealed an exceptional display of mosaic, both from the original 2nd century villa and from a large reconstruction that took place around the 5th century. Numerous different styles and designs can be seen in the mosaics which cover a substantial floor area.
The mosaics are classified as a Historic Monument - see the official Loupian Villa site for detailed information of the individual mosaics.
Close to Loupian
There are several other small towns of interest around the bassin de Thau, such as Bouzigues, Meze and Balaruc-le-Vieux, each with their own particular characteristics.
You can find more travel ideas in the Herault guide and the Languedoc-Roussillon guide.
Arrange a visit to Loupian
Hotels in Loupian
Booking.com: best prices
For great prices on car hire throughout France and Corsica please visit our recommended partner at RentalCars.com
Map of Loupian and places nearby
Visit near Loupian with France This Way reviews
Meze
The harbour is the centre of activity in the fishing village of Meze, with oyster production active here for hundreds of years
Meze guide
Bouzigues
No visit to Bouzigues, on the Etang de Thau, would be complete without sampling the fresh oysters and mussels
Bouzigues guide
Etang de Thau
The large lagoon of the Etang de Thau has several interesting small fishing villages around its edges
Etang de Thau guide
Balaruc-le-Vieux
Balaruc-le-Vieux is a small village on the Etang-de-Thau and near Balaruc-le-Bains, a long-established spa town
Balaruc-le-Vieux guide
... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Herault
Address: Loupian, Mèze, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, 34140, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 43.45, longitude 3.6144
Plan your visit to Loupian, Herault
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Etang de Thau: site of natural beauty (5 km)
- Pezenas: recommended detour (15 km)
- Etangs du Bagnas: site of natural beauty (17 km)
- Étangs palavasiens: site of natural beauty (20 km)
- Céressou: site of natural beauty (21 km)
- Parc et jardin du château de Margon: remarkable garden (25 km)
- Jardin des carrières de Saint-Adrien: remarkable garden (26 km)
- Montpellier: secteur sauvegarde (28 km)
- Cirque de Mourèze: site of natural beauty (28 km)
- Cirque du Moureze: site of natural beauty (28 km)
- Grotte de la Clamouse: site of natural beauty (28 km)
- Saint Jean de Fos pont du diable (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site (29 km)
The French version of this page is at Loupian (Francais)