Sernhac: Hiking and Roman Heritage

In Sernhac, hiking trails, historic buildings and Roman tunnels come together. The Domaine de Poulvarel also brings together several specific interests: it produces olive oil and vinegar and offers a tour that includes a cellar visit and wine tasting. If you’re looking for hotels in Sernhac, these different themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests.

Hiking around Sernhac

The “Au fil du temps” trail takes about an hour. It is rated moderate and has some difficult sections. A downloadable audio guide accompanies the route. The approximate duration and difficulty rating provide guidance for planning; the difficult sections are part of the description, alongside the moderate rating.

The Vallon d’Escaunes à Cantarelles offers secure, informative walking trails. A circular trail in the valley leads to the summit of La Perrotte rock and offers views over the terraces. The “Au fil du temps” trail is therefore defined by its approximate duration and audio guide, while the route to La Perrotte is characterized by its named summit and views of the terraces.

The Tunnel de la Perrotte is a preserved Roman tunnel, 74 metres long, and is open to the public. It adds a specific site with Roman history to the hiking and cultural themes. The trails can therefore be experienced in different ways: as a circular route with an audio guide, as a route with a named destination and a view, or as access to a preserved tunnel.

Historic buildings and local history

Sernhac was once fortified. Of its historic gates, the Porte Sarrasine has survived. It points to the town’s former fortifications and provides a specific landmark for anyone interested in its history. The surviving Porte Sarrasine and the other buildings described here each tell a different part of the town’s history.

The church of Sernhac is also associated with a historic turning point: an earlier church was destroyed by the Saracens, after which it was rebuilt. This sequence of destruction and reconstruction differs from the history of the once-fortified site, whose surviving gate is the Porte Sarrasine.

A bronze statue of Notre-Dame was placed on the bell tower. It is three metres tall and weighs 3.5 tonnes. Its material and dimensions give this detail a different emphasis from the historic gate and the rebuilt church: here, the focus is on a specifically described feature of the bell tower.

A visit to the Domaine de Poulvarel

The Domaine de Poulvarel produces olive oil and vinegar. During a visit, you can explore the two Roman tunnels, Perrottes and Cantarelle, visit the cellar and taste the Domaine’s wines. The experience includes both exploring the tunnels and getting a look inside the cellar, as well as a wine tasting.

When planning your stay, you can consider a visit to the Domaine, the historic buildings and the hiking trails as different experiences. Each description has its own focus: a roughly one-hour loop with an audio guide, trails in the valley with the summit of La Perrotte as a destination, historic traces in the town, or a visit that includes exploring tunnels and tasting wine.

Discover more destinations: Rousson, Saint-Julien-De-Peyrolas, La Calmette, Dourbies, Saze, Cardet, Brignon, Saint-Victor-Des-Oules

For the broader travel overview: Gard.