The Town
St Bresson is a small medieval village located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, in the department of the Gard, on the southern edge of the magnificent Cévennes mountains and national park.
The town is perched atop a 7 km hill. From the distance it appears all siena and gold from the stone and stucco walls and antique tile roofs.
The village is made up of ancient stone houses, a few ruins, a handful of new villas and a church. Perched as it is on the top of the hill, the village has a panoramic view of the valleys below. Gardens are terraced into the hillside.
The region is known for its production of chèvre cheese. Indeed, St. Bresson is not without its goats and sheep. Several dozen goats and sheep wind daily through the stone passageways of the village on their way to hillside grazing spots. All sport traditional bells around their necks, many of which are hand-painted.
During calving season the animals will drop their foals even while they graze, so it is not uncommon to see the goatherd and her family carrying minutes-old babies back to the caves where they bed down for the night.
There are four supermarkets within a 10- to 12-minute drive from the house, two in the town of Le Vigan, and two in the town of Ganges. We’ve been told (though we haven’t tried it) that upon request bread and other basic supplies can be brought to the village by the postman.
A short drive down a picturesque and windy road will take you to the bottom of the hill, where the river runs through the small village of St.-Laurent-le-Minier. There is a popular bathing spot for locals and tourists alike at the Cascade de la Vis, with several waterfalls and a deep cavern which allows the bravest to dive into the water from a medieval arched bridge.
In the summer, this area is packed with picnicers and sunbathers, so the locals have dubbed it “the Riviera.” An hour’s drive to the south through the Hérault region will take you to the white sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. You can head east along the coast from there to the real Riviera and Monte Carlo.
