HÉRAULT INFORMATION
HERAULT Geography
Hérault is part of the current region of Languedoc-Roussillon and is surrounded by the departments of Aude and Gard, in the region of Midi-Pyrénées by the departments of Aveyron and Tarn, and the Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lion) on the south.
The department is very geographically diverse, with beaches in the south, the Cévennes mountains in the north, and agricultural land in between.
The important rivers are :Orb, Hérault, Vidourle
The area of Hérault near the town of Lodève is an antipode point with Chatham Island, off the east coast of New Zealand.
HERAULT History
Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the wine-growing region was devastated, and thousands of workers revolted. This revolt was suppressed very harshly by the government of Georges Clemenceau.
The catastrophic frost of the winter of 1956 damaged the olive trees, and the olive-growing regions did not recover until 1980. Many of the olive-industry co-ops closed.
HERAULT Climate
The average daytime temperature is around 25-30 degrees Celsius in July and August and 8-10 degrees Celsius in December and January.
HERAULT Tourism
The Mediterranean beaches are a major attraction, as well as the caves of Clamouse and Demoiselles.
Part of Cap d'Agde is a major nudist resort.
Cruising along the Canal du Midi and walking or cycling along the tow paths is a popular holiday option.
Services are the largest sector of the economy in the region. In particular, government services employ a significant part of the workforce, especially in small towns. Key administrations have been relocated to the region, such as France's National Meteorology Office (Météo-France) relocated from Paris to Toulouse in 1982.
The area is also a major tourist destination. There exists three types of tourism. First, a massive summer tourism industry on the coast, with huge sea resorts such as Cap d'Agde, Palavas-les-Flots, or Grau-du-Roi, built in the 1970s.
Tourism related to history and art is also strong, as the region contains the historic cities of Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier, countless Roman monuments (such as the Roman arenas in Nîmes), medieval abbeys, Romanesque churches, and old castles (such as the ruined Cathar castles in the mountains of Corbières, testimony of the bloody Albigensian Crusade).
More recently, "green" and sports tourism is on the rise, with the gorges of the Tarn River, the Ardèche Gorges, as well as the vast preserved expanses of Cévennes, Ardèche, Lauragais, and other sites.
Tourism on the Canal du Midi combines history (for example viewing the nine locks of Fonseranes near Beziers) with activities such as boating on the Canal, and walking or cycling on the towpaths.
Toulouse and Montpellier are also popular places for business congresses and conventions.
HERAULT Culture
Montpellier hosts the following festivals:
Saperlipopette, voilà Enfantillages !
Printemps des Comédiens
Festival du Cinéma Méditerranéen
Comédie du Livre
Festival Radio-France Montpellier
Festival Montpellier Danse
The Canal du Midi has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
HERAULT Administration
Department number : 34
Region : Languedoc-Roussillon
Prefecture : Montpellier
Subprefectures : Béziers, Lodève
Arrondissements : 3
Cantons : 49
Communes : 343
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