A week in the Gard fills itself. This is the starting point: what is close, what is worth a drive, and when to go. Each topic has its own page with more detail.
By the hosts of La Valette Boutique
Uzès rewards a slower visit. Five minutes from the house, but worth more than a passing morning.
The springs here are the reason the Romans built the aqueduct. Today the valley is a shaded walking ground at the foot of Uzès, with plane trees, poplars, water, and almost no visitors. Bring something to drink and a book. Most guests miss it.
A walled garden tucked inside a twelfth-century site, with herbs, roses, vines, and the Tour du Roi at one end. Climb the tower for the best rooftop view of Uzès. The lemongrass and liquorice tea served in season is the small reward.
One of only four national stud farms still operating in France. Around seventy stables, riding arenas, a covered ring. Open for guided visits and events through the year. Of real interest to riders, easy to skip otherwise.
Haribo was founded here. The museum traces a century of confectionery design, advertising, and process. The shop at the end is harder to leave than expected. A genuine surprise for adults travelling without children.
Uzès carries the official Ville d'Art et d'Histoire designation, with around forty buildings registered or classified as historic monuments. A walking route through the saved sector, established under the Malraux law of 1962, takes you past the Duché, the cathedral, and the medieval mansions on Rue Jacques d'Uzès.
An immersive exhibition tracing the evolution of Uzès and its built heritage, scheduled for the full 2026 season. If your stay falls within the dates, it is worth an hour of attention. Check current opening hours with the tourist office on arrival.
The Place aux Herbes fills with producers from across the Gard. Cheese, charcuterie, olive oil, truffle in season. Saturday is the larger market. Arrive before 10h. Combine it with lunch at one of the restaurants nearby.
Charlotte Casanas runs a ceramic atelier a few minutes from the house. Functional objects and lighting made by hand. Worth visiting even if you do not buy anything. The same restraint and attention to material that you recognise from the house itself.
The medieval centre with the Duché, the towers and the arcaded squares. Quieter than the Luberon, less polished, and more interesting for it. A morning at the market followed by an hour in the backstreets is one of the better days available.
2 Rue du 4 Septembre, Uzès
Boutique and floral studio in the old town. Dried flowers, seasonal bouquets, crowns and compositions. One of the more poetic storefronts in Uzès.
Specialist facial treatments in a calm, confidential studio in the heart of Uzès. Kobido massage, lymphatic drainage, bespoke skincare. Manual techniques, no machines, no rush.
The studio-gallery of painter David Jamin, in the heart of the historic centre near the medieval garden. His Introportrait series is the best known work. The exhibition changes constantly as new paintings move on to galleries across France and abroad. Open daily, 15h to 19h.
The Duché d'Uzès and Costières de Nîmes appellations produce serious wine at reasonable prices. Several estates accept visitors without appointment outside harvest. We point guests to the ones currently doing good work.
The garrigue plateau around the house is some of the quietest cycling terrain in the south of France. Empty roads, limestone gorges, no traffic. We have five routes described in our cycling guide, from a 10 km market run to a 65 km gorge circuit.
The Roman aqueduct is fifteen minutes from the house. Go early, before the coaches. In summer you can swim in the Gardon directly below the bridge. Our complete Pont du Gard guide covers timing, tickets, parking and swimming.
Warm days without the heat. The garrigue smells of thyme and cistus. The Saturday market is at its most varied. The Pont du Gard is quiet before the summer coaches arrive. The best cycling conditions of the year.
35 degrees is normal. River swimming becomes essential rather than optional. The Festival d'Avignon in July, the Nuits Musicales d'Uzès in late July. Book restaurants ahead. Start outdoor activities before 9h.
The grape harvest in September, truffle season from November. Fewer visitors, the same quality of light. One of the less obvious but most rewarding times to be in the countryside near Uzès. The food is at its best.
Two apartments in a restored stone house in the countryside south of Uzès, five minutes from Uzès. Everything on this page is a short drive from the front door. We help with timing, reservations and directions.
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