things to do…
wine
Wine making & tasting is an important part of life in the Languedoc. Sommieres hosts a bumper weekly wine tasting, les estivales, in the summer with food stalls & live music – we have a network of favourite makers so vineyard tours can be arranged and even a guide for those that want more expertise at their side.
taureau
Camargue bullfights are not like Spanish bullfights. ‘Courses camarguaise’ is a competition of agility between men dressed in white, and black bulls; the aim is for the bullfighters to steal the trophies, such as ribbons and tassles, that are placed between the bull's horns. we often run the bulls through the streets too!
festivals
The warm weather brings many a vast array of festivities; the local annual village celebrations of fete votive where all the streets are alive with running bulls & open-air bars, the short film festival of Aigues Vives, Jazz at Junas in the old quarry & in the grounds of the chateau, the classical music festival in the beautiful chateau of Villevielle are all within a spit and jump.
les marchés
For centuries Sommières has seduced visitors with its Saturday morning market, sprawling throughout the old city, particularly lively, full of local produce & oysters from Bouzigues & the esplanade where the flea market lounges under the plane trees. It’s not your only market opportunity, there’s a craft market every Wednesday evening in the summer or Lunel or Calvisson on a Sunday. Further afield, there’s always Uzes, l’Ile sur al Sorgues, & Nimes..
art & pottery
There is a fine tradition of arts & crafts in the south – Sommieres has its own fabulous potters with boutiques in the alleys, Veronique Marsan & Made in Sommieres, the brilliant Rafart, where you will find supplies & the best urban artists work for sale. We are so very spoilt for choice; the ever impressive Musée Fabre & the newly opened MOCO in Montpellier, the Carré d’Art at Nimes, whole villages of potters at St Guilhelm-le-desert & St jean de Fos.
les rencontres d’arles
Every summer since 1970, over the course of more than forty exhibitions at various of the city's exceptional heritage sites, the Rencontres d'Arles has been a major influence in dissiminating the best of world photography and playing the role of a springboard for photographic and contemporary creative talents. Arles is also home to the Luma Foundation, LUMA Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting contemporary artistic creation; at it’s heart is the Tower, a multi-disciplined space, imagined by Frank Gehry.
beach bars
There are gorgeous beaches within half an hour of us – a whole stretch of white sand & dunes, between Carnon & la Grande Motte; a ton of beach bars, from shack-like to sophisticated dining – happy to book you in. Further afield is the beautifully wild Point l’Espiguette & at the heart of the Camargue, St Marie de la Mer.
riding
The white horses of the Camargue are the main attraction, and even if you’ve never ridden before, they should not be missed. Prized for their calm and willing temperament, they’ll happily splash through the sea, they’ll go forever across beaches and sand dunes, or gallop across fields. There are stables everywhere and they all offer a winning experience.
bird watching
The wetlands of the Camargue are a major staging point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds. Notably in spring & autumn, the Camargue attracts bird-watchers from all over Europe. But visitors come to the area throughout the year to admire its wildlife, and in particular the thousands of pink flamingos.
bikes
Cycling is a way of life in France. Here at the Hotel, we work with a company called Commavélo who have an ingenious app to rent bikes from them. We keep some here – vélo de ville, kids bikes & VTT de plage – but they have more, many more, so we can always get them delivered for you given a bit of notice.
la voie verte
La Voie Verte is the decommissioned railway line which has been paved over to create a fantastic path either side of Sommieres. It runs for 22 km towards Nimes, & 6 km northwards to Fontanés, winding its way between vineyards and garrigue, the Mediterranean scrubland famous for its aromatics, lavenders, thyme, rosemary. Perfect for running, cycling, rollerblading or just strolling along.
hiking
A network of more than 200 kilometres of hiking trails (marked in yellow) around the countryside of the ‘Pays de Sommières’ There are information panels at each departure point and an accompanying map available at the Tourist Office. Some routes are gentle family marches & others are impressively long, winding through several villages.
accrobranche
For the adventurous types and the restless youths - the Roc de Massereau is for you – a nature adventure park set on the banks of the river under the canopy of the trees – 20 tree courses, giant zip wires & standup paddle board, all within walking distance.
river swimming
Wild swimming is a thing here & you don’t have to go far. Just up the road at Lecques, you’ll find a lovely natural pool for a refeshing dip. For a more dramatic plunge head off to la Pont du Diable, one of the oldest bridges of France. The young, brave & reckless tend to jump off the old bridge.
kayaking
There are plenty of different ways to enjoy the emerald green water & lush banks or the drama of the gorges to the north; gently meander under the Pont du Gard, take a more challenging marathon through the Herault valley gorges, or you can push off from Sommieres itself, and float down the Vidourle