La Vacquerie-Et-Saint-Martin-De-Castries: Culture and Hiking Trails

La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries lies on the southern edge of the Causse du Larzac, at an altitude of between 600 and 800 metres. The landscape is shaped by extensive cattle, horse, donkey, and sheep farming. For planning your trip, the village offers two distinct highlights: traces of a long architectural history and trails that focus on nature or cultural themes. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can base your choice on whether you would like to explore historic sites, themed walks, or both.

Hiking trails with different themes

The Chemin de l’eau is an interpretive trail well suited to exploring with the family. Its circular route passes through the area’s rural hydraulic heritage and leads to the Source du Goutal, which supplied La Vacquerie with water for a long time. As a specific trail option, the Chemin de l’eau is a nine-kilometre circular hike from La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries to the spring; along the way, the route passes the Cantercel experimental site. Cantercel is a place for experimentation in architecture.

Water catchments, channels, and cisterns are also part of the water theme along the trail and are presented with information panels. This draws attention not only to the spring as a destination, but also to the structures associated with the area’s former water supply. A variant of the long-distance Chemin de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert trail also passes through the village. Alongside the circular hike, this gives you the choice of a route covering a wider area and several trails with specific themes.

The Chemin des Chênes highlights two remarkable oak trees and traces of local wildlife. On the Chemin de l’Érable, markers shaped like Montpellier maple leaves point the way to a remarkable maple tree with an information panel. These routes have a different focus from the water heritage trail: here, individual trees and wildlife take centre stage. Another hike, Notre-Dame de Parlatges, starts and ends in La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries and leads to the historically significant site of Notre-Dame de Parlatges.

Church, priory, and village architecture

The area’s architectural history can also be explored through buildings from different periods. The church of Notre Dame was founded in 1248 by Bishop Guilhem de Cazouls and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the 12th century, the Priory of Saint-Martin-de-Castries was dependent on the Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. The ruins of the priory church were restored in 2005; the church is described as the oldest on the Larzac plateau. Its founding date, former affiliation, and restoration each offer a different historical reference point.

Another example of the area’s architectural history stands in the village square: the Maison dite « Du Bailly » has a carved door and a 17th-century gallery. Together with the church and priory ruins, it adds a building from a later period to the picture of the area. During your stay, you can weigh these historic sites against the hiking trails: some lead to buildings and their history, while others focus on water engineering, trees, wildlife, or a historical destination.

Plan your journey and choose your stay

The La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries – Centre bus stop is served by Réseau Draille routes. Check the current timetable information for your travel dates, as transport networks and schedules can change. When choosing a hotel, it helps to consider in advance which of the themes described are important for your trip. The nine-kilometre Chemin de l’eau gives a specific circular route; for the other hikes mentioned, the focus is primarily on their theme or destination. This lets you include the available trail descriptions in your plans according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Sauteyrargues, Assignan, Lamalou-Les-Bains, Maureilhan, Saint-Félix-De-Lodez, Nizas, Clapiers, Saint-Guiraud.

View the regional travel overview: Hérault.