Quick answer
Le Vigan is about 81 km from Uzès, 1h25 by car according to a route planner; Valleraugue is about 90 km and 1h33. There is no direct bus: public transport takes more than three hours to Le Vigan and nearly five to Valleraugue. The climb from Valleraugue to the Aigoual is a full day for trained walkers, not a stroll.
Good for: walkers, from a 1h30 river loop to a full mountain day, and anyone who likes small museums and stone hamlets.
Not for: a short outing, a day without a car, or the Aigoual path in snow.
Beyond Saint-Jean-du-Gard and the Cévennes and Anduze, the Cévennes get wilder: river valleys, hamlets reached by short walks, and a summit that is the highest point of the Gard. For the towns on the way see Alès, and for another long valley, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | Le Vigan about 81 km and 1h25, Valleraugue about 90 km and 1h33 (a route planner, Rome2Rio). There is no direct bus: the quickest public-transport option to Le Vigan changes in Alès and takes about 3h22, and two buses via Alès and Le Vigan reach Valleraugue in about 4h58. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day; mountain roads are slower in bad weather. |
| Le Vigan | A town in the valley of the Arre, on the Chemin de Saint-Guilhem. The Musée Cévenol, open since 1963 on three floors, is in the former silk spinning mill near the old Romanesque bridge. Gard tourism counts about 350 km of paths in the Pays Viganais, and the Circuit de l'Arre is a loop of about 4.2 km, around 1h30. | The museum hours we found are for 2024 and 2025: call before you go. We found no market day for Le Vigan. |
| The hamlets above Valleraugue | Walking pages list Mas de l'Église and Mas Gibert d'Ardaillers, two hamlets of old houses on the southern side of the Aigoual reached by short walks, and La Bécède, about 1.2 km from Valleraugue. Le Cros, 4 km from Valleraugue, starts the Sentier de Chars, a walk of about 10 km past sites of the old transhumance, and a loop passes the chestnut groves above Berthezène. | These come from walking pages, not from the official topo guides: check the route on a map and ask at the tourist office of Valleraugue. |
| The Sentier des 4000 marches | A full-day walk from Valleraugue to the observatory of the Aigoual and back, on the old postman's path. Sources give about 24 km and a climb between 1,200 and 1,450 metres, about 8 hours. It is described as steep and stony, for trained walkers, with a rough descent, and to avoid in snow; the start is the forecourt of the church of Valleraugue. | Distance, climb and time differ between four sources: look at the official GPX file, and do not start late. |
| The summit and the observatory | The Aigoual is the highest point of the Gard, at 1,565 or 1,567 metres according to the source. The weather observatory, from the late 19th century, is said to be the last inhabited mountain weather station in France and has a museum of meteorology, open from May to September according to one source. On a clear day the view reaches from the Alps to the Pyrenees, and the sea is rarely visible. | Sources differ by two metres on the height, and the museum's season comes from one source: confirm before you plan for it. |
In season
Late spring to early autumn
The observatory museum is listed from May to September, and the Aigoual path is a poor idea in snow, so plan the summit for the warm months. The low hamlets and the river loop work in other seasons.
A day
One choice, made at the start
Either a gentle day, with the Musée Cévenol and the 1h30 river loop at Le Vigan, then a hamlet near Valleraugue; or the full Aigoual walk, which uses the whole day. We give no drive time between Le Vigan and Valleraugue because we did not find one.
Combine
Add Anduze or Alès
Anduze and Alès are the towns closer to Uzès on the same side of the Cévennes, Saint-Jean-du-Gard and the Cévennes the next valley, and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert the long road to the south.
Frequently asked
A day in the Cévennes behind Le Vigan
According to a route planner (Rome2Rio) Le Vigan is about 1h25 by car and Valleraugue, at the foot of the Aigoual, about 1h33. There is no direct bus, and public transport takes more than three hours to Le Vigan.
The Sentier des 4000 marches from Valleraugue is a full day of about 24 km with a climb of 1,200 to 1,450 metres, depending on the source. Gard tourism calls it a route for trained walkers, steep and stony, with a rough descent, and to avoid in snow.
The Circuit de l'Arre is a loop of about 4.2 km, around 1h30, in the town itself. The Musée Cévenol, in a former silk spinning mill near the old bridge, makes a good second hour: its hours are for you to check.
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