Attractions and Places To See around Carlencas-Et-Levas - Top 20

The castle overlooks Pézènes-les-Mines from the upper part of the village. This castle is private, but its facades, roofs, and enclosure have been protected as historical monuments since 1981. Its history is ancient, but the ensemble we see today is the result of several construction and transformation campaigns. The Romanesque chapel, integrated into the castle, dates back to the 12th century. Its apse was later raised in the 14th century to take on a defensive function. The castle itself underwent significant alterations in the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Two gates were notably built into the enclosure in the 17th century. The defensive elements are still very legible: two gates with arrow slits controlled access to the courtyard and were once protected by a drawbridge. Two towers flank the ensemble, while the enclosure follows the natural irregularities of the terrain. The chapel also retains a rather remarkable detail: its door and some of its bays are decorated with basalt inlays, giving the building a discreet but original polychromy. Pézènes-les-Mines was not always the small village one might imagine today. Pézènes was the capital of a marquisate that grouped the communities of Pézènes, Montesquieu, and Valmascle. The castle was therefore at the heart of a larger seigneurial territory. Little-known information: A plan from 1800 shows that behind the castle stretched a long terrace of about 270 meters, arranged as a garden, promenade, and belvedere overlooking the Peyne valley.

Once at the summit, the effort is well rewarded: a magnificent 360° panorama opens up over the Cabrières mountains, the vast Languedoc plain, and the Mediterranean. In clear weather, the view extends as far as the Pyrenees and, sometimes, to Mont Ventoux. On the other side, while Mont Saint-Baudille can be seen in the distance, the relief of Liausson, the dolomitic cirque of Mourèze, the Lousses, and Mont Mars create a spectacular setting. The Pic de Vissou also tells a story: about 470 to 450 million years ago, in the Ordovician period, fine sediments were deposited in a marine environment before transforming into shales. In the Devonian period, between about 390 and 360 million years ago, the sea saw the formation of white limestones, rich in marine fossils, but also red griotte limestones, whose color is linked to iron oxides. In the Carboniferous period, about 350 to 330 million years ago, lydites, dark siliceous rocks, appeared, as well as fine sediments that would become shales. Then the formation of the Hercynian chain disrupted this whole area: the rocks were deformed and displaced. At Vissou, ancient terrains are thus found above younger terrains, testifying to a complex tectonic history. Erosion then shaped the current relief.

Magnificent terrain, it's fun on gravel, and surely even more so on a mountain bike! Plus the scenery is too beautiful!!

Mourèze is a small, picturesque village in the Hérault department of Occitanie. Nestled at the edge of a steep amphitheater of rock pillars, the village features narrow stone streets, a Gothic church, and the ruins of a small castle perched on a rocky spur. You will find a couple of restaurant, a shop selling local food produce and doubling as a tapas bar as well as a creperie (pancake) also serving sandwiches and drinks. Mourèze makes a perfect midpoint for a circular walk from Liausson: it blends dramatic geology from the Cirque de Moureze, sweeping lake views on the Lac du Salagou, and a peaceful village ambience, with several services.

A superb 360-degree viewpoint that is well worth it! Be careful if you choose to descend by any path from the summit, expect trails with difficulty levels S3-S4!

Mourèze is a pretty little village

A beautiful view to start the hike at the Belvédère de Mourèze. You can see the charming village on one side, and the Cirque on the other!

Along the DFCI, the view of the lake is breathtaking. The route was tiring because that day there was a fairly strong wind, and we often had it in our faces. Some unpaved paths are quite difficult for beginners, so be careful. But otherwise a superb walk, for the Moureze cirque we returned the next day. It is possible to do the short 3km route by combining it with the bike if you are in good physical condition.