History:
At the heart of the St Germain estate stands the old stone chapel and Mas. For most of the last thousand years, St Germain has belonged to the Baron of Montlaur’s estate. In the twelfth century, a chapel was erected on the foundations of an ancient Roman villa. The estate was gifted to the church in 1233 and became home to an Augustine convent (St Germain de Fournès) with its cloisters built around the chapel. When the convent closed in 1435 the last Prioress Jeanne de Montlaur sold the property back to her brother, Hector, Baron de Montlaur. Since then, the estate has seen numerous activities from sheep farming, olive, lavender and wine growing to silkworm breeding.
The estate’s ancient mulberry trees date back to shortly after the French Revolution, when the property was a centre for silkworm production.
Nature:
The estate sits within a European Natura 2000 zone, created to protect the pair of rare Bonelli’s eagles that nest on nearby cliffs. With only 26 couples remaining it is one of France’s rarest birds. At over 30 years old the female Eléonore, the oldest Bonelli in France, is now with her third mate.
Around 330 species of plant grow on the estate. The air is thick with the typical Provençal scent of wild rosemary and thyme.
Wine & gastronomy:
The local area features dozens of great wineries to visit in the up & coming Pic St Loup terroir and the rest of the surrounding Languedoc.
A wine tasting visit at the superb Château Puech Haut just 5 minutes away in the village of St Drezery, with its beautiful hilltop setting, delicious wines and fascinating collection of 'art barrels' is a must.
During your stay you should definitely try the highly rated wines of our neighbour Christian Mocci at Mas de Martin (you drive through some of his vines as you arrive at the Mas.
Golf:
The nearest golf course is the Golf de Massane just 15 minutes drive away at Baillargues (10 min east of Montpellier) just off junction 28 of the A9 motorway.
3 other golf courses lie with a 1/2 hour drive : Golf de La Grande Motte, La Golf de Foncaude at Juvignac (5 min west of Montpellier) and the Golf de Coulondres at St Gély du Fesc (10 minutes north-west of Montpellier)
Other Activities:
Gliding, wine tasting, rock climbing, canoeing, caving, anyoning, pot-holing.
