Minervois (Menerbès in occitan) is a french natural region situated in Languedoc - Roussillon region, on limits of the departments of Hérault and Aude. It's a country of low hills which extends of the Black Mountain in the North, until the river Aude in the South, which separates it from Corbières.
Olonzac, importing crossroads of roads, is the main economic centre of the region.
The name of the region comes from the medieval town Minerve, classified among the most beautiful villages of France and the Mecca of the crusade against Cathars. 11 municipalities wear it today the name, since Villeneuve-Minervois, Laure-Minervois on the west until Bize-Minervois in the east.
The word "Menerbès" would come from celtic roots "men" for stone and "erb" for country, literally "stony country" what well characterizes the place.
Historic capital of Minervois, the small municipality of Minerve welcomes every year more than 300.000 visitors.
Finding in the tourism and the production of qualitative wines the two pillars of the activity,
Extraordinary natural environment as Gorges de la Cesse and Gorges du Brian, natural bridges, Causse (plateau) de Minerve are the main aspects of its touristic charm, shared with its tragic history inherited from the Middle-Age.
Minervois is renowned for its wines but much less for its dolmens.
And nevertheless, there are here some beautiful necropolis as in Bois-Bas, Bouys, Meyrannes, Causse Mégé, Lauriole and their neighborhood. Menhirs are very very rare. A total of about 50 megaliths in Minervois seems rather close to the reality even though forbidden sites remain to discover.
Principals sites : Causse de Minerve & Causse de la Matte (Félines-Minervois)