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The Haute Vallée de l'Orb, or Upper Orb Valley, is situated in the northwest of the county of the Hérault and covers 32 municipalities, with Prémian at the western end and Avène at its northwestern extremity. These municipalities are grouped into four administrative districts called cantons.
The Upper Orb Valley forms part of the Southern Cévennes. Most of it lies within the Upper Languedoc Regional Park and the rest in the bordering municipalities with "gateway to the Park" status.
The geographical area known as the Upper Orb Valley actually consists of three different valleys - the Mare, Jaur and Orb - enclosed by the massifs of the Montagne Noire, the Caroux and Escandorgue.
This extensive tract of land represents the second largest Vin de Pays territory in the Hérault. However, vines are grown on only a minute proportion of its surface area (1,400 hectares, or 3,400 acres - in mountainous regions such as this, farming land is a scarce commodity.
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