Quick answer
Bagnols-sur-Cèze is about 27 km from Uzès, 32 minutes by car according to a route planner, and Pont-Saint-Esprit about 38 km and 44 minutes. A bus (line 121) runs to Bagnols in about 37 minutes, four times a day from Monday to Saturday. The Albert-André museum is closed throughout November, so go before it or after it.
Good for: a short drive, a free museum, a medieval bridge and a Saturday market, in any season.
Not for: November if the museum is your reason for going, or a Sunday or Monday outside July and August.
Both towns sit on the way to the Rhône: Bagnols-sur-Cèze on the river that gives La Roque-sur-Cèze its waterfalls, Pont-Saint-Esprit at the bridge. the Chartreuse de Valbonne is close by, and Orange and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are the bigger days on the other bank.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | Bagnols-sur-Cèze about 27 km and 32 minutes, Pont-Saint-Esprit about 38 km and 44 minutes (a route planner, Rome2Rio). The line 121 bus to Bagnols takes about 37 minutes, four times a day from Monday to Saturday; a liO bus to Pont-Saint-Esprit takes about 56 minutes, three times a day from Monday to Friday. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map and the timetables on the day. |
| The Albert-André museum | Figurative painting from post-Impressionism to today, with works by Renoir, Matisse, Signac and Bonnard. Admission is free according to the town hall. From September to June it is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00, and Wednesday 13:30 to 17:30; in July and August Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 18:30. | Closed on public holidays and throughout November. Third-party listings show Sunday opening, which the town hall page does not: trust the town hall and confirm. |
| Bagnols-sur-Cèze town | The museum is the main reason to come, and the town sits on the Cèze, the river of the waterfalls at La Roque-sur-Cèze. | The market day of Bagnols-sur-Cèze: not found, so we state none. |
| The bridge of Pont-Saint-Esprit | The medieval bridge over the Rhône was built from 1265 to 1309 according to Gard tourism, on the wish of Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Louis IX. It joins the town to Lamotte-du-Rhône in the Vaucluse, and two of its arches were replaced by a single iron span in the 19th century. The town long lived off the toll for crossing it. | Another source gives 1344 for the completion; 1309 is the usual date. |
| Pont-Saint-Esprit: market and museum | A municipal guide describes a fine Provençal market on Saturday morning. The departmental museum of sacred art is in the Maison des Chevaliers, holds the Musée de France label and shows goldsmith's work, relics, statues and santons; the building has been listed in full since 1992. | We found no opening hours for the museum of sacred art or hours for the market: ask the tourist office. |
In winter
Before the November closure
The Albert-André museum is shut for the whole of November. In the other cold months the town hall's September-to-June pattern applies, and the bridge and the Saturday market do not depend on the museum.
A day
A Saturday on the Rhône
On a Saturday, start with the market at Pont-Saint-Esprit, walk the bridge, and spend the afternoon at the Bagnols museum, which is open on Saturday in the autumn listing. We give no drive time between the two towns because we did not find one.
Combine
Add the Cèze or the Ardèche
La Roque-sur-Cèze and the Chartreuse de Valbonne are the nearest short additions, and the Gorges de l'Ardèche is a longer day on the other side of the Rhône valley.
Frequently asked
A day at Bagnols and Pont-Saint-Esprit
Bagnols-sur-Cèze is about 27 km and 32 minutes by car, Pont-Saint-Esprit about 38 km and 44 minutes, according to a route planner (Rome2Rio). A bus to Bagnols takes about 37 minutes and one to Pont-Saint-Esprit about 56 minutes.
The town hall gives free admission. From September to June it is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and on Wednesday afternoon, closed on Sunday and Monday; in July and August it is open Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on public holidays and throughout November.
It was built from 1265 to 1309 according to Gard tourism; another source gives 1344 for its completion. It crosses the Rhône to Lamotte-du-Rhône in the Vaucluse, and two arches were replaced by an iron span in the 19th century.
A municipal guide describes the Pont-Saint-Esprit market on Saturday morning. We found no market day for Bagnols-sur-Cèze, so we state none.
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