Saint-Émilion rises from a limestone plateau where medieval pilgrims once sought miracles and modern visitors hunt down the perfect glass of wine. On this walking tour, you’ll find out how an eighth-century hermit’s cave became the foundation for Europe’s most extraordinary underground church and the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage wine region. The tour starts at the iconic Monolithic Church of Saint-Emilion, a cathedral-sized hollow carved directly into the cliff, where you’ll trace the area’s evolution from a spiritual retreat to a prosperous medieval commune. I’ll lead you through narrow cobbled lanes paved with ballast stones from English ships, past washhouses where village gossip once flowed, and up to viewpoints where patchwork green and gold vineyards stretch toward the horizon. Along the way, I’ll show you about Saint-Émilion’s dual identity, with over 800 wineries occupying the same terroir that sustained medieval monasteries. I’ll also share stories about monks, merchants, and the miraculous transformations that built this remarkable town. The tour ends at the peaceful ruins of the Cloître des Cordeliers, where Franciscan monks once welcomed pilgrims and, today, sparkling wine ages in limestone caves three kilometers deep. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to: • Hear the legend of Saint Émilion, the hermit who turned bread into wood, healed the sick, and unknowingly laid the foundation for a pilgrimage site that still draws visitors today • Climb the Tour du Roy, a rare example of a freestanding Romanesque keep, and take in panoramic views of the vineyards that have made this region world-famous • Visit Saint-Émilion Collegial Catholic Church at Saint-Émilion, where canons once lived, prayed, and shaped the town’s spiritual life for centuries • Learn how the Jurade, a powerful wine brotherhood that once controlled wine production and trade, set the stage for the prestigious classifications still used today • Walk along medieval fortifications, including the graceful Logis de Malet, whose refined 18th-century façade hides a much older, fortified past On this two-hour tour, you’ll wander through a village where faith, trade, and winemaking have shaped every stone, and where even the quietest corners whisper stories from centuries past.