Quick answer
Carpentras is about 65 km from Uzès, 59 minutes by car according to a route planner; Cavaillon is about 63 km and 1h02, Pernes-les-Fontaines about 61 km and an hour, and Venasque is about 13 km and 14 minutes beyond Carpentras. By public transport Carpentras takes about 2h07 with a bus and a train; the villages need a car.
Good for: a market morning with old streets, and the best day on this side in winter, when the truffle market runs.
Not for: a weekend morning if you want the synagogue: every listing we found gives weekday visits only.
The Comtat Venaissin was once a papal territory around Carpentras, east of the Rhône. Today it is a plain of market towns and a few hill villages, with the Dentelles de Montmirail to the north and Mont Ventoux to the east. It pairs well with L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and the winter market fits our notes on Uzès in winter.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | Carpentras about 65 km and 59 minutes, Cavaillon about 63 km and 1h02 (a route planner, Rome2Rio). Pernes-les-Fontaines is about 61 km and an hour, read from the same planner's page for the opposite direction; Venasque is about 13 km and 14 minutes from Carpentras. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day. |
| Carpentras: the market | The Friday morning market is known across the region. From mid-November to the end of March a truffle market is held on Friday mornings; its dates can change with the stock, and one earlier season opened on 15 November on the forecourt of the Hôtel-Dieu. | The first truffle Friday of 2026-27: not yet published when we checked. |
| Carpentras: the old town | The synagogue, built in 1367 and altered in the 18th century, is described as the oldest synagogue still in use in France. Close by are the Southern Gothic cathedral Saint-Siffrein (begun in 1404, finished early in the 16th century), a Roman arch of the Augustan period in the courtyard of the law courts, and the Porte d'Orange, the only gate left of the old walls, about 27 m high. | The synagogue: visit days and times differ between listings and need a reservation; we state none. Dates of the Roman arch differ (16 BC or the 1st century). |
| Pernes-les-Fontaines | A town of fountains: sources count 40 or 41 historic ones. The Tour Ferrande holds 13th-century frescoes of the Angevin conquest of Naples and Sicily, and the 14th-century Porte Notre-Dame stands over the Nesque. Two marked circuits take about one and about two hours. | One walking guide advises against winter because most fountains are then dry; sources differ on the age of the tower and the gate, and we found no market day. |
| Venasque | A hill village on a rocky spur at the end of the Nesque gorges, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Its baptistery goes back to the Merovingian period (listed in 1840) and the Romanesque church Notre-Dame was listed in 1905; a guide allows two to three hours for the village. | Opening of the baptistery and the church: ask the town hall or the tourist office; one sheet puts the baptistery in the 6th century, another suggests an older crypt. |
| Cavaillon | Known for its IGP melon, sold from June to September. The Colline Saint-Jacques gives a view over the Durance valley and the Luberon; the 18th-century synagogue houses the Jewish Comtat museum, a style kept only at Cavaillon and Carpentras; a Roman arch of the 1st century stands in the town. The market is held on Monday mornings. | The museum: a spring 2025 programme lists it closed on Tuesday; check days and hours. The melon festival falls in early summer. |
In winter
A Friday in Carpentras
From mid-November to the end of March the Friday morning is the best time: the truffle market, then the general market, then the old town. The synagogue is listed on weekdays, so Friday works, but book it first. For other days and the other market towns, see our guide to markets near Uzès.
A day
Carpentras, Venasque, Pernes
Carpentras takes the morning, Venasque is 14 minutes on by car, and Pernes-les-Fontaines closes the day with its fountains (outside winter). A signed cycle route, the Via Venaissia, links Carpentras with Pernes-les-Fontaines if you would rather pedal one leg.
Combine
Add the Sorgue or the Luberon
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the next market town to the south, and Cavaillon is the doorway to the Luberon villages. the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux lie to the north and east of Carpentras and make a separate day.
Frequently asked
A day around Carpentras
Every Friday morning from mid-November to the end of March, according to a regional newspaper; the dates can change with the stock. The first Friday of the 2026-27 season was not published when we checked, so ask the town or the tourist office before you drive.
About 65 km and 59 minutes by car according to a route planner (Rome2Rio). By public transport it takes about 2h07 with a bus and a train; Cavaillon is about 63 km and 1h02 by car.
Yes, by reservation: every listing we found gives visits on weekdays only, but the days and times differ between them, so we state none. The building dates from 1367 and is still a place of worship, so check before you travel.
Carpentras holds its main market on Friday mornings. Cavaillon holds its market on Monday mornings. We did not find a market day for Pernes-les-Fontaines, so we state none.
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