Located 25 minutes away from Montpellier, the Pic Saint-Loup is set against the first foothills of the Cévennes in the Garrigues area north of Montpellier.
Its summit, at an altitude of 658 m, is marked by a chapel and a cross offering a panorama of the garrigue.
The Pic Saint Loup, visible from a large part of the Hérault department, can be reached on foot in about 1 hour for those who enjoy hiking.
The vegetation, characteristically adapted to summer drought, is made up of several typically Mediterranean species — Holm oak, Kermes oak, Aleppo pine, Arbutus trees…
These help to make up the fragant nature of wines from Pic Saint-Loup.
Coteaux du Languedoc AOC’ – Pic Saint Loup, is the most northerly of Languedoc’s appellations.
The north face of the peak is a vertiginous 150 m cliff. It used to be dominated by a wooden cross which young girls, taking their marriage vows in the year, would come and prick with a pin. A metal cross replaced it in 1911 and young men still touch the copper nail at the foot of the cross today.
The Pic Saint-Loup dominates the Montpellier scrubland from the top of its 658m. To the north, the Hortus mountain and beyond, to the northwest, the view extends to the Cévennes. To the east, the plain of Nîmes and beyond the Rhône valley, the Ventoux, the Alpilles and the Luberon.
To the southeast, the Camargue. To the south, the plain of Montpellier, the Mediterranean and its lagoon coast. Finally, to the south-west, on the horizon, the Canigou and the Corbières. A landscape so varied that it is sure to make you forget the efforts of the climb.
6 km of marked trails lead to the summit of the Pic Saint-Loup, a land of famous wines and beautiful nature. This hike on the region’s most famous mountain takes about 2h30 round trip. And at the top, what a spectacle!
The Pic Saint Loup is therefore accessible by bus, but beware of a longer and more difficult hike than the path from Cazevieille! It is a less frequented and more shaded route.
You can also take a 13km path, medium difficulty, about 5 hours!
