Labeled among the most beautiful villages of France, Olargues unfolds its charms to seduce you. And there is no shortage of assets. Almost entirely surrounded by the Jaur, the village curls up on a rocky plateau to better control the magnificent valley that stretches at its feet. The pigmented landscape of chestnut and cherry trees adjoining the vines blossoms under the sun. The medieval city has preserved all its cachet of yesteryear and invites you to catch your breath in a magnificent setting where nature and medieval architecture mingle wonderfully. It nestles in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Haut-Languedoc, at the foot of the massif of Espinouse. History tells us that the village was born in its fortified form in the twelfth century with the construction of the feudal castle. The surrounding walls were erected in the 13th century. The city, several times besieged, resisted as well as possible the assaults until the destruction of the citadel on the orders of Richelieu. Rural territory, the municipality has established itself in the economic fabric thanks to its well-known fairs.
It is a pretty stroll loaded with history that awaits you at Olargues. From its castle overlooking the valley, it remains today, a bell tower. She will visit you and will let you discover a splendid panorama on the massif of Caroux. Fortifications remain a gateway to the twelfth century. Going up the cobbled streets of the village, you can admire many half-timbered houses dating from the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. You will then pass by the staircase of the Commanderie. This picturesque staircase is under gallery and leads to the Museum of Art and Popular Tradition. There, a beautiful collection telling the history of the village awaits you. Later, the walk continues with a visit to the chapel of Saint-Etienne. Two other religious buildings are also to be seen on the town: the Saint-Martin-des-Œufs rural chapel and the Saint-Laurent church dating from 1688. You can also admire the old seigneurial mill and pass by the famous Diable bridge Dating from the 12th century. Olargues can be visited solo with an interactive map or guided tours in July and August. Guided tours are available throughout the year on request.
The surrounding nature invites to sport nature. Hiking is on the program of your stay. Several routes are proposed and one of them will lead you to the Peiro Escrito, a cave painting dating from the Bronze Age. Mountain biking is also on the agenda with numerous marked trails allowing beginners and experienced mountain bikers to practice their favorite sport. Discover the basement of the region in Cebenna center during 3D projection as if you had really gone to caving.
In April, athletes are expected to Olargues for the Radon Bikes Epic Enduro. The mountain bikers will therefore compete on different courses day and night to the delight of fans of the genre. Do not miss this exceptional event that brings together nearly 550 participants each year.
In the month of April, the Caroux Outdoor always puts nature sports in the spotlight. Numerous workshops for young and old await you in order to make you discover the different nature sports that you can practice in the region.
In May, it is the Mai festival that Mai invades the streets of Olargues. It is therefore a torchlight hike that awaits you, during which tales and music will ensure the atmosphere. You will also have the opportunity to participate in the wheelbarrow party and the gardener.
During the summer, Moments d'Orgues invites music lovers to attend exceptional concerts. In August, Olargues hosts Festibaloche, a festival of traditional music.
On August 15, you can go shopping at the organic market that settles for a day on the town.
Stage de Peinture - Paysage
- From 8 to 9 june 2024
- Rue de la Place
- Would you like to learn to paint, or improve and diversify your technique ? This workshop is for you ! - Els Knockaert welcomes beginners and experienced painters to her studio. - You'll be introduced to a variety of techniques and materials, and learn to draw and paint with a live model. - Els teaches small groups of up to five people. - It's an intense experience that allows you to go home with a finished painting after two exciting days. - Landscape course : - Over 2 days from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Els offers an introduction to landscape painting (proportions, perspective ?) and the various techniques of expression (oil, watercolor, acrylic, knife ?.). - 1st day : - morning : outdoor sketching. - Afternoon : exploration of different techniques. Particular attention paid to the rendering of backgrounds (mixed-media technique). - 2nd day : - Oil-on-canvas portraiture, based on knowledge acquired the previous day.
Stage de Peinture - Paysage
- From 6 to 7 july 2024
- Rue de la Place
- Would you like to learn to paint, or improve and diversify your technique ? This workshop is for you ! - Els Knockaert welcomes beginners and experienced painters to her studio. - You'll be introduced to a variety of techniques and materials, and learn to draw and paint with a live model. - Els teaches small groups of up to five people. - It's an intense experience that allows you to go home with a finished painting after two exciting days. - Landscape course : - Over 2 days from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Els offers an introduction to landscape painting (proportions, perspective ?) and the various techniques of expression (oil, watercolor, acrylic, knife ?.). - 1st day : - morning : outdoor sketching. - Afternoon : exploration of different techniques. Particular attention paid to the rendering of backgrounds (mixed-media technique). - 2nd day : - Oil-on-canvas portraiture, based on knowledge acquired the previous day.
Stage de Peinture - Portrait
- From 9 to 10 july 2024
- Rue de la Place
- Would you like to learn to paint, or improve and diversify your technique ? This workshop is for you ! - Els Knockaert welcomes beginners and experienced painters to her studio. - You'll be introduced to a variety of techniques and materials, and learn to draw and paint with a live model. - Els teaches small groups of up to five people. - It's an intense experience that allows you to go home with a finished painting after two exciting days. - Portrait workshop : - Over 2 days from 9.30am to 5.30pm Els offers an introduction to portraiture (proportions, perspective ?) and the various techniques of expression (oil, watercolor, acrylic, knife ?.). - 1st day : - morning : sketching from a live model. - Afternoon : exploration of different techniques. Particular attention paid to the rendering of backgrounds (mixed-media technique). - Day 2 : - Portrait painting in oil on canvas, based on knowledge acquired the previous day.
Les Musicales du Jaur : « Concert d’Orgue »
- On 12 july 2024
- Eglise Saint Laurent
- Music lovers, welcome ! - You love classical music. All summer long, the A. M. V. J. O. (Association musicale de la vallée du Jaur et de l'Orb) will be offering quality concerts in a privileged setting and friendly atmosphere, enabling you to discover both young talents at the dawn of their careers and established musicians. - At the heart of this musical season you'll find exclusive organ programming through the "Concerts d'Orgue" in the church of Saint Laurent d'Olargues, France's most beautiful village. But you'll also be able to enjoy a number of high-quality concerts in special venues such as the priory of Saint Julien - Tonight's program includes - Bernd SCHERERS, organ (Berlin, Germany) - The German organist takes us on an exciting journey through five countries and four centuries. - J.S. Bach - G. Böhm - D. Scarlatti - S. Wesley - J. Turina - J.-M. Plum - Free participation
Les Musicales du Jaur : « Concert d’Orgue »
- On 4 august 2024
- Eglise Saint Laurent
- Music lovers, welcome ! - You love classical music. All summer long, the A. M. V. J. O. (Association musicale de la vallée du Jaur et de l'Orb) will be offering quality concerts in a privileged setting and friendly atmosphere, enabling you to discover both young talents at the dawn of their careers and established musicians. - At the heart of this musical season you'll find exclusive organ programming through the "Concerts d'Orgue" in the church of Saint Laurent d'Olargues, France's most beautiful village. But you'll also be able to enjoy a number of high-quality concerts in special venues such as the priory of Saint Julien - Tonight's program includes - Christophe SMIT (Montpellier, La Grand Combe) - Come and discover this young organist, titular of the Vincent Cavaillé-Coll organ in La Grand Combe, at his first concert in Olargues ! - Johann Sebastian Bach - César Franck… - Free participation
Traces...Mysteres !
- On 14 august 2024
- 08/14/2024 - OLARGUES - Source du Frejo - Free - from 6 years old - From 7pm to 10pm - on registration with the Cebenna association : 0467978800/ cebenna@cebenna.org - Misfortune ? My garden has been visited ? All the berries have disappeared, the buds have been nibbled, the soil has been ploughed… Who is responsible for these misdeeds ? Feathers, hairs, droppings, footprints ? Who are they all belonging to ? Sort out all the clues, lift the veil and identify the glutton among the list of potential suspects ! Detectives, it's up to you ! - Meeting point : Frejo site - Bring water and sun protection, Bring flashlight, Bring picnic - This activity is brought to you by the Maison de l ? environnement / Domaine de Restinclières, in partnership with Coopere34, as part of the Hérault department ? S program of activities and discovery of the environment and sensitive natural areas. The Hérault is yours for the taking ! - If you don't want to miss out on any of our programming or news, sign up for our newsletter in just a few clicks on our website : http://domainederestinclieres.herault.fr (footer of the website) - Discover the Domaine de Restinclières - Prades -le-Lez : - the advantages of domaine de restinclieres - 240 hectares of sensitive natural space (ENS) - Open 7 days a week - Free parking - Playground - Picnic areas - Various hiking and walking trails - Free access to all facilities - Year-round entertainment