Discover Montlaur

When planning a trip to Montlaur, you can consider a range of themes: church and fortress history, wine experiences and a route through a natural area. The Church of Montlaur and the château each offer their own historical highlights; at the Cellier des Troubadours, wine tastings and insights into communal production take centre stage. The “Nature et Patrimoine en Alaric” route adds a specific starting point and its location within a Natura 2000 site to these local features. This makes it possible to choose a hotel based on the themes that interest you on your trip to Montlaur.

The church and medieval traces

The Church of Montlaur is dedicated to Saint Eulalia of Mérida. It is Gothic, in the pure pointed-arch style. “Gothic” classifies the building stylistically, while “pure pointed-arch style” describes its distinctive architectural language. Much of the church dates from the 14th century; the old bell is also dated to 1399. Its dedication, style and dates give the building a clearly recognisable historical profile. For travellers interested in religious architecture, this combination of style and period is a distinct highlight in Montlaur.

The Château de Montlaur was built around 1160 on the rocky outcrop of Pech Matus. Its fortifications comprised an inner enclosure around the rock and a second wall with three gates and a barbican. Today, only the “portail de Bissens” gate remains of the medieval fortress. The contrast between the former extent of the fortifications and the gate that survives today helps place the site’s history in context: the original defensive structure and the single surviving part belong to different historical periods. When exploring Montlaur’s past, you can therefore consider both the scale of the original complex and the changes that have shaped what has survived to the present day.

The “Nature et Patrimoine en Alaric” route

The route offers a specific starting point for planning your trip: it begins at the car park at Col du Fer à Cheval, between Capendu and Montlaur. The route is located within the “Corbières occidentales” Natura 2000 site. Follow the rules in force when using the trails. Also check the current route information before setting off, particularly details about access. This makes the route a different kind of planning option from the historic buildings: what matters here is the named starting point, its location within the protected area and the latest route details.

Wine and communal production

The Cellier des Troubadours offers wine tastings and guided tours of the winery for individuals and groups. The Cellier is run collectively: four winemakers process their grapes together to make wine. It is housed in a former wine cellar dating from the early 20th century. The tours therefore bring together two perspectives: the collective processing of grapes and the use of a historic wine cellar as a place of wine production.

By reservation, the Cellier offers discovery tours of its vineyards on foot or on horseback. These tours are a separate offering from the tastings and winery tours, so plan your reservation separately. Before travelling, also confirm whether the current visitor experiences are available on your chosen date. This keeps the choice of activity and the planning it requires clearly separate.

The Parc du Domaine de Montlaur holds the EBTS label.

Discover more destinations: Carcassonne, Mazerolles-du-Razès, Cailhau, Fabrezan, Roquefeuil, Ribaute, Pépieux, Magrie.

For the broader travel overview: Aude.