Quick answer
Alès is about 32 km from Uzès, 32 minutes by car according to a route planner. By public transport the bus line 115 takes about 45 minutes, four times a day. The Mine Témoin is open from 1 February to 1 November on the 2026 flyer and closed in winter, so go before the start of November or after the end of January.
Good for: a short drive, an underground visit that does not depend on the weather, and a museum afternoon.
Not for: a winter trip to the mine, which is closed from early November to late January or February.
Alès is the town where the Cévennes begin, and the Mine Témoin tells its coal-mining past underground. It is the closest of our day trips and an easy partner for Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard and the Cévennes; in wet weather, see also a rainy day near Uzès.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 32 km and 32 minutes by car (a route planner, Rome2Rio, read from its page for the opposite direction). The bus line 115 takes about 45 minutes, four times a day. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day; the bus times on the day. |
| The Mine Témoin | A former coal mine turned into a museum. The visit is guided only and goes down in the cage at the foot of the headframe; most sources count about 700 m of galleries and a visit of one hour to 1h30. The 2026 flyer gives 1 February to 1 November, closed on Monday, 9:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00 (10:00 to 19:00 in July and August), the last visit leaving 1h30 before closing. | Book ahead. The Gard tourism listing gives a different pattern for February to June (Tuesday to Friday and weekends), and one older page counts 650 m of galleries. We found neither the depth nor the temperature of the mine. |
| The Fort Vauban | Built at the end of the 17th century, the fort stands above the town with a view over the Cévennes. We found no regular visiting hours for the inside: guided visits are offered on the heritage days in September and as booked tours of the outside, through the Cévennes tourist office. | Ask the tourist office whether a visit is on offer on your day. |
| The Pierre-André Benoît museum | A museum built on the collection of a local art publisher, with works by Picasso, Braque and Miró. From 1 October to 31 December 2026 one listing gives Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00, closed on Monday; the museum is also closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December, and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. | Summer hours differ between pages (one gives 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 from July to September): check them in season. |
| The covered market and the old town | The Halles de l'Abbaye, the covered market hall in the centre, reopened in June 2025; the town tried longer hours on Friday and Saturday in late 2025, to 15:00 instead of 14:00. The cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste, listed as a historic monument in 1914, stands in the centre. A Christmas market is planned from 2 to 24 December 2026. | Market days: sources differ and we found no single current schedule, so we state none. The late-2025 hours were a trial. |
In winter
When the mine is closed
From early November to late January or February the mine is shut. The museum of Pierre-André Benoît and the covered market stay on the list, and the Christmas market is planned for December. For more on the cold months, see Uzès in winter.
A day
Mine, lunch, museum
With a drive of 32 minutes you can book the mine for the morning, eat in the centre and keep the museum, which opens at 14:00 in the autumn listing, for the afternoon. Book the mine first and fit the rest around that slot.
Combine
Add a Cévennes village
Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard and the Cévennes have their own guides and are the natural next stops into the Cévennes; the Grotte de la Salamandre is another short outing on the same side.
Frequently asked
A day in Alès
About 32 km and 32 minutes by car according to a route planner (Rome2Rio). The bus line 115 takes about 45 minutes and runs four times a day, so a day trip by bus needs careful planning.
No. The 2026 flyer gives 1 February to 1 November, closed on Monday, so the mine is shut from early November to late January. A tourism listing gives a different pattern for February to June, so check the days before you drive.
The visit is guided only and sources call a reservation recommended or indispensable, so book ahead. We found sources giving between one hour and 1h30 for the visit; allow the longer figure.
We found no regular visiting hours for the inside. Guided visits are offered on the heritage days and as booked tours of the outside, through the Cévennes tourist office, so ask before you plan around it.
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