Édouard as a child, arms flung wide before the sheepfold, photographed by Agnès Varda, 1952

Les Bergeries de Sète,a family estate
on the shores of the étang de Thau

Since 1950, this family property in Sète has grown with each passing generation.

Around the original house now stand three villas, set within a private one-hectare estate on the edge of the étang de Thau, where families, friends and professionals are welcomed alike.

© Succession Agnès Varda - Paris

La Bergerie...

A true family home

Les Bergeries de Sète began as a place where several generations came together, over long lunches and afternoon teas, swims, games of cards and summer dinners. That family story remains, to this day, at the heart of the welcome extended to every guest.

  1. 19th c.

    The farmsteads of Le Barrou

    In the nineteenth century, the Barrou district was still a landscape of farmland and tenant farmsteads, opening onto the étang de Thau. It is against this backdrop that the history of the estate begins.


    Historic view of Sète and the étang de Thau in the nineteenth century
    Lith. E. Thomas · Montpellier · 1826-1870
  2. 1950

    The family arrives... La Bergerie

    Having lived facing the sea, on Mont Saint-Clair, Milou, Marcel and their son Édouard settled in this vast park turned towards the lagoon and its pine woods. The first memories took shape around the house and its grounds, and La Bergerie gradually became the gathering place for a family scattered across France, and for new friends from Sète.


    La Bergerie in the 1950s
    Édouard and his toys in front of the sheepfold, 1950s
    Édouard and his US Army jeep, 1950s
    Édouard's seventh birthday tea, 1950s
    Milou, Marcel and Édouard as a child, in front of the sheepfold, 1950s
  3. 1970

    Great occasions, with family and friends

    Over the years, the children grew up, friends came and went and returned, and everyone gathered in the shade of the pines. La Bergerie became a place where life's great moments were celebrated with simplicity: a long lunch, a birthday, a summer spent together.


    A family meal in the garden of Les Bergeries de Sète, 1970s
    A long table beneath the trees by the étang de Thau
    Édouard and Laurie's wedding at the estate, 1975
  4. 2001

    Keeping the house, opening a new chapter

    On Marcel's passing, Édouard inherited the house in which he had grown up, and one conviction quickly became clear to him: La Bergerie must remain a place that brings family and friends together. To keep the house alive throughout the year, he chose to open it to other families through short stays, so that they too might share, for a time, the gentle pace of Mediterranean life.

    Some years later, in 2016, his daughter Constance returned to Sète after fifteen years in Paris working in property. She brought that experience to the estate and developed an exacting approach to hospitality, designed for stays with family and friends.

    In 2023, Julien, his son, joined the venture, taking charge of corporate hire (seminars, events, evening receptions) and of the company's communications. Faithful to the spirit of the house, he is guiding its evolution so that this family story may continue to be written, one generation after another.

    For more than seventy years, the house has passed from one generation to the next without ever changing its purpose: to remain a place where people love to gather.


    Plan of the houses and pools of Les Bergeries de Sète on the edge of the étang de Thau
    The estate today
  5. 2026

    Three Bergeries... the story continues

    Today the estate brings together La Bergerie, La Bergerie de l'étang (2018) and La Bergerie du parc (2026). The three villas may be booked individually or together, accommodating up to 32 guests, in keeping with the family spirit that has animated the place for more than seventy years.

The grounds

A hectare of Mediterranean nature

More than a hectare of pine woodland surrounds Les Bergeries de Sète: umbrella pines and Aleppo pines, fig trees, cypresses, olive trees, pomegranates, oleanders and pittosporum form a shaded park, sheltered from view. Each of the three villas has its own outdoor spaces and pool, far enough apart to preserve everyone's privacy, yet close enough for the whole party to gather around one table. Spacious enough for each to find a quiet corner, close enough to come together for dinner.

Les Bergeries de Sète seen from the étang de Thau
A lit pool among the pines of Les Bergeries de Sète
The lagoon

The beach,
at the end of the path

A private path leads straight from the estate to the shores of the étang de Thau. Within a few steps, guests reach the water to swim, take in the view, rest awhile or enjoy water sports.

The étang de Thau is a Mediterranean lagoon lying between Sète, Balaruc-les-Bains, Bouzigues, Mèze and Marseillan, renowned for its oyster and mussel beds and for its sunsets.

And now, it is your turn

Two ways to gather here

A table laid by the pool, facing the lagoon at sunset
Tailored stays

Gather your loved ones

Three Bergeries, sleeping up to 32, and the entire property reserved for you, your family and your friends.

Discover our stays
A corporate evening beside the lit pool at sunset
Corporate events

Work in tranquillity

The same grounds, a different gathering. Up to 32 people accommodated on site, with five working spaces.

Plan your event
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