Driving through France, off the motorway, one can’t help but stumble upon example after example of tiny picturesque villages built hundreds of years ago. Many of these communes are still wonderfully, magnificently and thankfully intact.
Lunas, France is situated in the south, in the Herault (Languedoc-Roussillon region), just 35 miles from Montpellier and 357 miles from Paris. Driving in on the D35, you simply can not miss this charming village of 650 residents.
Stone terraced houses are tucked into the hills on the edge of the River Gravezon. The Chapel of Saint George, built in the seventeenth century, is the oldest building in the village.
Chateau de Lunas, whose restaurant terrace offers the best view of the river, was built in 1641. We didn’t eat a meal in Lunas, but we did enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee at Redondel Café Restaurant, whose outdoor seating area winds along the D35 and sits just across the street from the Chateau de Lunas.
You’ll notice that many of the residential buildings here don’t have ground floor windows. According to France This Way, the ground floor of many of the houses was originally used for animals. The next floor, which features large windows and a decorative facade, was the living area. Above this floor was storage.
I moved to Magalas from the U.K. 7 months ago, just down the railway line from Lunas. I’m taking advantage of SNCF’s €1 evasio fare tomorrow, to visit Lunas; if it’s half as beautiful as the photographs I’ve seen of it, I’ll be very happy!
It will be! I’m sure of it!
It was, & much more besides!
Please share!
It’s been many years since I last visited Lunas, it is a beautiful place, and the one thing that will always enamour to the village is the large model of the miners lamp, on the side of the road ,being an ex coal miner myself I immediately felt a connection had been made between the place and myself.
Jim, I agree about its beauty, but I don’t know about the large model of the miner’s lamp. I Googled it and nothing came up. Tell us more!