Loupian

There are three very good reasons why we regard Loupian, an obscure village beside the Bassin de Thau with a population of a couple of thousand, as a highlight of any visit to the south of France.

Firstly, the village itself is delightful, an attractive hotchpotch of ancient buildings from the medieval period with later eighteenth and nineteenth vigneron's houses, some modest, others built on a grander scale with fancy stonework on the upper stories above  workaday small warehouses. 

The central square next to the old castle - now re-purposed as the Mairie - has a statue of 'Liberty' at one end and a plaque with Charles de Gaulle's 1940 speech to the free French at the other. 

Unlike the UK, in France overt expressions of patriotism are  not always associated with the right. The local canton voted 69% socialist in the regional election earlier this year and the French Communists are the ruling party in the nearby large town of Séte. This is not a fluke, whereas the Cote d'Azure historically has leaned to the right, Languedoc has a long standing socialist tradition. Even in a small place like Loupian you sense that public spaces have been well looked after, the municipal sports facilities look superb, and on the southern edge of the village the extensive communal allotments seem to be thriving. In fact the entire place looks to be thriving.

Perhaps it's just practice! Evidence of people living civilised lives stretches way back hereabouts. When archaeologists excavated the Roman villa half a kilometre to the south of Loupian not only did they discover significant mosaics, but also the remains of large scale wine business with its own small port on the Etang to export the produce. To this day the village is surrounded by vines, from the main road the first sight you see is the simple outline of the Église de Sainte Cécile de Loupian like a rocky island among the vineyards. A palpable sense of the continuity of human habitation stretching back thousands of years is inescapable, the feeling of profound dwelling. In the quiet of early morning or as evening falls the place acquires an almost overwhelming peacefulness.

 

The second thing that brings us back here is much more down to earth. The village has a really great camping municipal, in fact we can't think of a better one. Partly it's about practicalities - the hedged pitches are generous, the woodland setting offers a mix of sunshine and shade, the sanitary block is basic but clean and well maintained, the washing up area has a constant supply of hot water, all for €15 per night!  

Staff on reception have changed over time, but they all have been helpful and friendly. This certainly is not something we can always assert about some of the other sites we have used in our 45 years of camping in France. 

There is also a small bar that does meals at the weekend, we have not used it but our daughter has and reported that the food was excellent. Perhaps the fact that the site is so good is related to the point earlier about how Loupian's municipal authorities seem to have invested steadily in the locality for decades. A sign by the gate indicates they plan a further investment of €350,000 over the winter. 

I said at the beginning of the post that there were three very good reasons to visit Loupian, firstly the village itself, secondly the Camping Municipal, and finally there's the lovely bike trail that runs from the back of the campsite to nearby Mèze The trail  had recently been extended to the west as far as Sete,  now forming a 16km semi-circular route around the eastern end of the Bassin de Thau. 

However, it's the short ten minute traffic free ride to Mèze that  interests us. if Loupian is our 'best village in the south of France', then Mèze is quite possibly our favourite small town. Having them conveniently connected by a cycle trail is simply an extra bonus.