Saint-Chinian is a bustling village 27 kilometres north-west of Beziers, dating back to the founding of a monastery here in 825, and situated at the foothills of the Cevennes.
The village prospered with the monastery, surviving the Cathar Crusade (1209 - 1229) relatively unscathed, and emerging in the 18th and 19th centuries as a centre for the manufacture of cloth. Since the 19th century, the village has concentrated on wine production, and now it is best known for this wine.
Explore Saint-Chinian
Saint Chinian is much more than just one small town, it is in fact twenty communes and a wine region with its own appellation, producing mainly red and rosé wine. The vines grow on hill sides facing the sea at an altitude of between 100-200m.
They tell me that the more the vines have to struggle on the hillsides, the better the wine!
During the French revolution the abbey of St Chinian was dissolved and its buildings put to new uses. The former abbey church is now the village hall, which hosts anything from exhibitions to villages dances. You can see what remains of what was once the cloisters behind the hall.
On a clear sunny market day (on Thursday and Sunday mornings), the village comes alive. With stalls situated on the main square beneath the plain trees, it’s a veritable feast to the eyes. With such a colourful array of goods on offer, you will be hard pushed not to spend a euro or two, and if you like cheese there’s plenty to try.
Generally the market sells regional produce, groceries, clothes and souvenirs. Organic vegetables are very reasonably priced at the market - look out for a little green sign that says AB or BIO (agriculture biologique) and there is even an organic supermarket in the village, also open on sundays.
After a stroll through Saint-Chinian market you certainly deserve a petit café. And there are several cafés to choose from, the most popular being opposite the market square which has tables on the pavement outside in the summer. This is great for people watching.
If this proves too busy, walk further down in to the village and find a few other similarly bustling cafés to enjoy. Pick up a morning croissant and the sunday paper on your way down (the newsagent sells most of the english papers).
Attractions nearby
With over 300 days of sunshine a year, this is the place to be outdoors. The area really lends itself to walking and cycling, and in just under 20 minutes you can find places for canoeing at Cessenon-sur-Orb and horseriding at Creissan.
Be sure to also visit Roquebrun and Olargues, two particularly attractive villages near Saint-Chinian.
You can find more travel ideas in the Herault guide and the Languedoc-Roussillon guide.
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Hotels in Saint-Chinian
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Map of Saint-Chinian and places nearby
Visit near Saint-Chinian with France This Way reviews
Roquebrun
The seting on the River Orb and the Mediterranean garden add to the charm of this small, unspoiled town
Roquebrun guide
Bize-Minervois
Bize-Minervois is a small village but its pretty houses and popular swimming river in summer make it a good place for a detour
Bize-Minervois guide
Aigne
The fortified village centre of Aigne make it one of our favourite Minervois villages
Aigne guide
Olargues
With a lovely medieval centre and the scenic background of the Jaur river that encircles Olargues this is one of our favourite Languedoc villages
Olargues guide
Minerve
The ancient streets of the attractive village of Minerve are very pleasant to explore, and you also have great views across the region
Minerve guide
Beziers
Beziers is a lively, thriving town with a good number of interesting monuments to see
Beziers guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Herault
Address: Saint-Chinian, Béziers, Languedoc-Roussillon, 34360, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 43.4231, longitude 2.94778
Plan your visit to Saint-Chinian, Herault
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Olargues: most beautiful village (15 km)
- Minerve: most beautiful village (18 km)
- Enserune: national monument (18 km)
- Grotte de la Devèze: site of natural beauty (20 km)
- Mont Caroux: site of natural beauty (21 km)
- Beziers: secteur sauvegarde (23 km)
- Fraisse-sur-Agout: ville fleurie 4* (24 km)
- Narbonne: secteur sauvegarde (27 km)
- Jardin des carrières de Saint-Adrien: remarkable garden (28 km)
- Haut-Languedoc: regional natural parc (29 km)
- Parc et jardin du château de Margon: remarkable garden (30 km)
- Gouffre de l'Œil Doux: site of natural beauty (32 km)
Market days in Saint-Chinian, France
Regular market(s) are held in Saint-Chinian each Thursday & Sunday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)
The French version of this page is at Saint-Chinian (Francais)