Saint Michel de Grandmont Priory

The Prieuré Saint Michel de Grandmont : A journey through 5,000 years of history on the outskirts of Lodève!

Located in Soumont, near Lodève, in the heart of a magnificent 30-hectare listed park, the Prieuré de Grandmont transports you back in time.

Visiting this exceptional site, one of the Hérault’s top tourist attractions, is like travelling back in time from the Neolithic period through the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Its 12th-century priory, founded by the Order of Grandmont and listed as a Historic Monument, is the only one of the Order’s 160 monasteries to have preserved its cloister.

The immense park contains the famous Coste-Rouge dolmen, dating from the Neolithic period and also listed as a Historic Monument.

Particularly well-suited to a rejuvenating stroll, it also offers one of the finest panoramic views in the region, overlooking the Hérault valley and stretching as far as the Mediterranean Sea.

Year-round resident stags and deer roam freely around the park, much to the delight of visitors.

A little history of the Prieuré de Grandmont…

The Coste rouge dolmen in the grounds of the Prieuré Saint Michel de Grandmont dates back to 2500 BC.
Popularly known as the “Fairy Cave”, this Neolithic relic weighing several tonnes was listed as a Historic Monument in 1887.
At the time, it was used as a funerary monument housing collective burials. It certainly resembled a Capitelle. All that remains today is the internal structure.

In the Middle Ages, legend has it that the monks used it to provide care, particularly for their skin. The sick would lie on the table above, naked, in the sun. Their clothes were burnt. In theory, skin problems disappeared.

This dolmen is unusual in that it has been Christianised (as shown by the small cross in the middle of the monument in the 1st photo). This is quite rare, as monks tended to destroy this type of construction.

From the dolmen, there is an exceptional view over the Salagou valley and Mont Liausson opposite, with the inactive Brandou volcano behind…

Places not to be missed near Prieuré Saint Michel de Grandmont

• The Lodève Museum, 8km away.
• The Manufacture nationale de la Savonnerie in Lodève, 8km away.
• The Sites Templiers et hospitaliers du Larzac, 30 km away.