Discover Malves-en-Minervois

Malves-en-Minervois is a stage on the GR®78, a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The Château de Malves, the parish church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, a menhir, and the capitelles on the hillsides also give the village a distinctive heritage. Vineyards and garrigue shape the local terroir. If you are looking for a destination with a pilgrimage route, rural history, and winegrowing, several facets of the region come together here.

The GR®78 and the capitelles circular trail

The GR®78 is also known as the Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen or Camin Romieu and is one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela. Its red-and-white waymarking passes through Malves-en-Minervois. This makes the village a stage on a longer pilgrimage route. Another hiking option is the signposted circular trail on Rue Trencavel: several capitelles lie along this route on the hills above Malves.

The two hiking routes offer different perspectives. The GR®78 represents the pilgrimage route and its connection with Santiago; the circular trail draws attention to the rural structures on the hillsides. The capitelles also tell the story of working the land: most were built by farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries using stones removed from the soil. This makes it possible to understand the landscape not only through its vineyards and garrigue, but also through its agricultural history.

The château and parish church

The Château de Malves has four round towers. The two facing the village date from the 15th century. Its origins are medieval and probably go back to the 11th century; the building is arranged in Renaissance style around a rectangular main structure with a large park. References to different periods give the château a layered history, without conflating its medieval origins with its later architectural classification.

The parish church also combines a clear dedication with historical and artistic features. Dedicated to Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, it is a Gothic building that probably dates from the late 15th century. Its furnishings include gilded wooden statues of Saint Roch and the Madonna and Child; the figures probably date from the 17th century. The château and church thus offer different starting points for exploring the village’s architectural and artistic history.

The menhir and landscape

The Malves menhir, also known as Peiro Ficado, stands about 500 metres west of the village on a hill above the right bank of the Clamoux. It is about three times the height of a person and probably extends a similar distance into the ground. Its elevated setting and position overlooking the riverbank are part of its description, along with its two names and striking dimensions.

The rural character extends beyond its stone monuments to the vineyard landscape. The terroir of Malves-en-Minervois is shaped by vineyards and garrigue. At Domaine Villepeyroux Forest, the vineyard lies between heathland and pine forests and is influenced by the Mediterranean climate. The estate produces, ages, and bottles its wines on site. Alongside the heritage, winegrowing and landscape are therefore distinct themes to explore during a stay in the village.

Experience the wine

Visitors are welcome at the Domaine Villepeyroux Forest tasting cellar year-round; check visitor access before your trip. The estate also offers an oenotourism walk for groups of twelve or more, by prior reservation. As booking conditions may change, it is best to check them in advance. The tasting cellar and the walk offer different ways to discover the estate: one welcomes visitors year-round, while the other requires a reservation and a minimum group size.

Malves-en-Minervois can therefore be discovered from several perspectives: as a stage on the GR®78, through its architecture and church art, along the capitelles and to the menhir, and through its winegrowing.

Discover more destinations: Lavalette, Malviès, Villelongue-D'aude, Rustiques, Ouveillan, Moux, Fraissé-Des-Corbières, Alet-Les-Bains

See the regional travel guide: Aude.