I haven’t written about the medieval village of St. Guilhem le Desert in about 10 years, so I’m glad to have an excuse to do it again. If you are ever in the Montpellier area, you would not regret a visit to this perfectly-preserved village, tucked away into a tight valley near the Hérault River.

Well, now St. Guilhem has another attraction – the 165 year old plane tree that dominates it’s main square.

France likes to label stuff that is special and there’s a site that searches for arbes remarquables all over the country. St. Guilhem’s platane, planted just after the 1848 revolution, just hit the big time. St. Guilhem itself, incidentally, is labelled as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.

And since this is a cycling blog, let me just assure you that there is some incredible riding nearby – you are on the edge of the Cévennes, with lots of great options on the ‘plains’ as well. Once France lets you in again, you should really give it a try. After your spin you’ll have lots of shade to sit under for your post-ride beer or local rosé.