The best cycling routes around Ferrières-Poussarou

The former Saint-Pons Cathedral It is difficult to understand Saint-Pons-de-Thomières without stopping here. The building is the former abbey church of a Benedictine monastery founded in 936, around which the town developed. In 1318, the abbey became the seat of a new bishopric: the church then took on the status of a cathedral, which it retained until the Revolution. The Romanesque building, most of which dates back to the second half of the 12th century, still bears the traces of this turbulent history. Fortified in the Middle Ages, the cathedral was heavily damaged in 1567 during the Wars of Religion. Then, in the 18th century, its appearance was profoundly transformed: in 1716, the orientation of the choir was reversed and a new classical facade was built to the east. The medieval remains are particularly remarkable: the two crenellated towers on the north facade recall the defensive character of the building, while the former west facade preserves precious Romanesque reliefs depicting, in particular, the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet, the Ascension and the Crucifixion. Inside, there are also marble decorations, choir stalls and an organ dating from 1772.

The church of Saint-Sébastien de La Caminade is one of the last vestiges of the ancient heart of Prémian. Under the patronage of Saint Sebastian, it is mentioned as early as 940, when it was given to the abbey of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières. The place of worship is therefore much older than the building visible today. The Wars of Religion profoundly disrupted the site: in 1567, after the passage of Protestant troops, the church was described as "looted and razed". The current building was then rebuilt for the most part at the beginning of the 17th century. Its single nave has five bays and ends in a short choir bay and a three-sided apse. But the interest of the place also lies in its surroundings. With the old presbytery and the old town hall-school, the church forms one of the last preserved ensembles of La Caminade, the historic heart of Prémian. This name itself is attested as early as 1116 and derives from the Occitan caminada, which could designate a presbytery or a rectory.

A beautiful 15% that bites just right!

Clinging to a rocky outcrop almost encircled by the Jaur, Olargues is a remarkable fortified village whose medieval organization is still perfectly legible. At the summit, the former keep of the castle, transformed into a bell tower in the 17th century after the fortress was destroyed on Cardinal Richelieu's orders, still dominates the valley. Below, the Devil's Bridge, built in the 12th century, has spanned the Jaur for nearly nine centuries. Between the two, "calades" (cobbled alleyways) and old houses invite you to step back in time. It is easy to understand why Olargues is among the Most Beautiful Villages in France!

Located in the Jaur valley, in the heart of the Hauts cantons of the Hérault, Riols is a vast rural village typical of the Haut-Languedoc. The village is intimately linked to the history of the abbey of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières, founded in the 10th century, on which it long depended. From the Middle Ages onwards, Riols was part of a network of monastic possessions. Even today, the old center retains its valley setting, crossed by the Jaur, around which the main routes and activities developed. The Pont-Vieux and several structures on the river bear witness to this close relationship between the village and its watercourse.

BEST VARIANT OF THE CIRCUIT

One of the many tunnels that punctuate the PassaPaïs greenway, allowing easy crossing of the territory by bicycle.

A green 80 km cycle ride on an old railway line