What to see and do in Sète and its surroundings ? Must-visit destinations in the Pays de Thau

Mont Saint-Clair: an exceptional vantage point over the Étang de Thau

Mont Saint-Clair, which rises to an altitude of 175 meters, represents the high point of the town of Sète. From Saint-Louis pier, it takes just a few minutes by car or a more physically demanding ascent on foot along the Chemin de Biscan Pas trail (30 to 45 minutes) to reach its heights. You then enjoy one of the finest views of the Hérault coastline. From the esplanade of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette Chapel, your gaze sweeps to the town, then stretches to the Mediterranean on one side and the Étang de Thau lagoon checkered with oyster beds on the other. All around, Les Pierres Blanches Forest offers a shady route through Aleppo pines, strawberry trees, and oaks.

L’Espace Georges Brassens: in the footsteps of the region’s native son

You can’t talk about Sète without mentioning the famous singer born in the region. Not far from Mont Saint-Clair, you step inside the Espace Georges Brassens, at the foot of Le Py Cemetery. Wearing a headset, you then follow an audio tour on which the artist’s voice guides you through his manuscripts, personal items, and clips from his concerts. On leaving, walk to the simple and luminous cemetery where his body rests.

The Museum of the Sea and the Quartier Haut: maritime memories and artist’s studios

On the heights of the fishing port, the Museum of the Sea traces Sète’s long naval history. Inside, you wander around model boats created by André Aversa, pass through a room devoted to nautical jousting, and pore over maps illustrating the founding of the town in the 17^th century. Just nearby, the marine cemetery is home to the tomb of Paul Valéry, another native son. As you walk along its paths, you can almost hear the backwash that inspired the poet to write “The Marine Cemetery.” A narrow pedestrian pathway then climbs to the Quartier Haut, a former fishermen’s bastion turned artists’ haunt. A maze of steep alleyways reveals a succession of studios, galleries, and small squares.

Frontignan salt marshes: a salty landscape surveyed by birds

In Frontignan, the former saltworks create an exceptional panorama. On foot or by bike, you can go right around Étang d’Ingril lake, following a loop that takes 1 hr 45 min by mountain bike or 3 1/2 hours on foot. Bring your binoculars to spot the flamingos, herons, and avocets that live there. The route then takes you to Aresquiers Wood and the beach of the same name and Étang des Mouettes lake, protected sites where the silence is barely broken by the song of a plover.

The Gardiole Massif: a wild mountain balcony overlooking the coast

Not far from Frontignan, the Gardiole Massif gently rises up. An easy seven-kilometer path, following the Gigean trail, takes you to Saint-Félix-de-Montceau Abbey in two hours. On your arrival, the ancient medieval site offers a setting charged with history at the heart of unspoiled nature.

Balaruc-les-Bains and its antique Mediterranean garden

In Balaruc-les-Bains, one of the oldest spa towns in the Mediterranean, wind your way through a surprising ethnobotanical park, which includes some 1,200 varieties of plants. Organized into seven themed spaces, it tells the story of the gardens’ development from the Greeks to Gallo-Roman times: the apothecary garden, Roman vegetable garden, the monastic cloister, and more. You stroll amidst lavender bushes, pistachio trees, and euphorbia, following the trail of Sète’s botanical history. An educational walk to discover how these plants were previously put to everyday use.

Mèze: an ancient port on the edge of the Étang de Thau

Opposite Bouzigues, Mèze maintains an understated charm. Stroll through its marina, then get lost in its former town center, interspersed with narrow alleyways and pastel facades typical of the South of France. Nearby, in a house dating back to the 2^nd century BC, the Loupian Gallo-Roman Museum displays magnificent mosaics, bearing witness to the people who lived there in ancient times.

Marseillan and the secrets of Noilly Prat

At the entrance to old Marseillan, the Maison Noilly Prat teaches you more about the age-old  know-how surrounding vermouth, which has been produced here since 1813. The guided tour lets you discover the storehouses, vats, and cellars where the barrels still rest. The maceration process, blending dry white wine and aromatic plants, is explained in precise detail. At the end of the tour, a tasting gives you a better understanding of Noilly Prat’s subtle variations. You leave with a bottle as a souvenir of this two-century-old tradition.