Quick answer
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a town built on arms of the Sorgue river, is about 61 to 65 km and 1h05 to 1h15 by car from Uzès (two route planners). Combine its canals, markets and antiques with the spring at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a short drive further.
Good for: canals and market stalls, antiques, a walk to a river source, a long lunch.
Not for: a quiet morning on market days, or a short outing (allow a full day).
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a town in the Vaucluse built on several arms of the Sorgue, with old water wheels along its canals. It is known for its markets, held on Thursday and Sunday mornings, and for its antiques dealers, who are mostly open from Friday to Monday. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a short drive away, is the village where the Sorgue rises from a deep spring at the foot of a cliff; the poet Petrarch lived part of his life there.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 61 to 65 km and 1h05 to 1h15 by car to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, by two route planners. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a short drive from the town. | A live map on the day. |
| Markets | Thursday and Sunday mornings. Sources give different hours, from 7:00 to 12:00 or 13:00 up to 6:00 to 14:00, so arrive in the morning. | The hours with the tourist office (islesurlasorguetourisme.com). |
| Sunday flea market | Along Avenue des Quatre Otages on Sundays, listed as 8:00 to 18:00 (not on 1 January and 25 December). | The listing on the day. |
| Antiques | Several antiques villages and shops, most open Friday to Monday from about 10:00 to 19:00, some from Thursday (one guide). Large antiques fairs are held at Parc Gautier; their dates change each year. | Each dealer's own hours. |
| The spring | Fontaine-de-Vaucluse: free access, about 15 to 20 minutes' walk from the village centre. In 2026 listings the last 50 metres to the chasm are closed because of falling rocks, with a viewpoint still open. The flow is strongest in spring and varies with the rain. | Access and flow on the day. |
| Petrarch museum | The Musée-Bibliothèque François Pétrarque in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is listed open daily except Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, from 1 April to 30 September. | The winter hours, which this listing does not give. |
The town
Canals, markets and antiques
The town is built on several arms of the Sorgue, with old water wheels along the canals. Walk the canals early, then look at the market stalls and the antiques: dealers are mostly open from Friday to Monday, so you are not limited to the Sunday market.
The spring
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, where the Sorgue rises
A path leads from the village along the river to the spring, at the foot of a cliff. The flow changes with the season and the rain: it is strongest in spring (sources also mention autumn), so do not count on the same view every visit. The Vallis Clausa paper mill, with a large water wheel driven by the Sorgue, stands a few metres below the spring.
In 2026 listings the last stretch to the chasm is closed: the viewpoint is the end of the walk.
Plan the day
Morning in town, afternoon at the source
Reach L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for the market, have lunch, then drive on to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse for the afternoon. On a Sunday expect crowds in both places. If you are weighing this day against a day in Avignon, see Uzès or Avignon? Gordes, Roussillon and the Sénanque abbey are in the Luberon, a day trip of their own: see our Luberon day-trip guide.
Frequently asked
A day on the Sorgue
About 61 to 65 km and 1h05 to 1h15 by car, by two route planners. Without a car it takes about two and a half hours with a bus and a train via Avignon, so a car is the practical way.
Thursday and Sunday mornings. Sources give hours from 7:00 to 12:00 or 13:00 up to 6:00 to 14:00, so arrive in the morning. A flea market along Avenue des Quatre Otages is listed on Sundays, 8:00 to 18:00.
The flow changes with the season and the rain, and it is strongest in spring. In 2026 listings the last 50 metres to the chasm are closed because of falling rocks and a viewpoint remains open, so check the current access with the tourist office.
Sunday for the markets and the flea market, which makes it the liveliest and the busiest day. The antiques dealers are mostly open from Friday to Monday, so a Friday or a Monday works if you mainly want the antiques.
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