Midway between Limoux and Carcassonne, the commune is bounded in its northern part by the Lauquet River, which also flows through the village along tree-lined banks. The history of Saint-Hilaire is very much linked to that of the abbey. Occupying a dominant position in the heart of the old medieval fort, this human-sized monastery is organized around its Gothic cloister. It houses the “sarcophagus” of Saint-Sernin, a major work of the Master of Cabestany. Blanquette de Limoux, the oldest brut in the world was invented by the monks of Saint Hilaire in 1531.
