The villages around Uzès
Within thirty minutes of La Valette Boutique, a handful of villages where the stone is warm, the squares are quiet, and the rhythm of the week is set by the market day.
Jan-Willem & Fleur
La Valette Boutique
Sanilhac-Sagriès, 30700 Gard, France
Within thirty minutes of La Valette Boutique, a handful of villages where the stone is warm, the squares are quiet, and the rhythm of the week is set by the market day.
The most rewarding villages within thirty minutes of La Valette are Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, a working ceramics village; Lussan, an official "plus beau village de France" near the Concluses gorge; Castillon-du-Gard, above the Pont du Gard; Collias, the gateway to the Gorges du Gardon; and a handful of quieter neighbours, Arpaillargues-et-Aureillac, Montaren-et-Saint-Médiers, Blauzac and Saint-Maximin. Further north, in the Cèze gorges, Montclus and Aiguèze join La Roque-sur-Cèze among the Gard's four officially classified "plus beaux villages de France". Each sits in the Gard, in the Occitanie region on the western edge of Provence.
| Village | Drive from La Valette | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie | 10-15 min | Working ceramics village, ateliers |
| Arpaillargues-et-Aureillac | under 15 min | Quiet hamlet immediately west of Uzès |
| Montaren-et-Saint-Médiers | under 15 min | Small wine-growing village |
| Saint-Maximin | under 15 min | Rural village on the garrigue plateau |
| Collias | 12 min | Gateway to the Gorges du Gardon, river |
| Blauzac | 15-20 min | Quiet stone village |
| Castillon-du-Gard | 20-25 min | Hilltop village above the Pont du Gard |
| Estézargues | 20-25 min | Hilltop wine village, Côtes du Rhône Villages |
| Saint-Hilaire-d'Ozilhan | 20-25 min | Chapel facing the Pont du Gard |
| Lussan | 30-35 min | Plus beau village de France (2016), Concluses gorge |
Closest neighbours
Arpaillargues-et-Aureillac, Montaren-et-Saint-Médiers and Saint-Maximin are the quiet neighbours immediately around Uzès, each under fifteen minutes from La Valette. None has a headline attraction: a church square, a bakery, a view over the vines. That is also the appeal. On a quiet afternoon, a short loop through all three before or after Uzès shows a side of the area most visitors never see.
Pottery capital
Ten minutes north of Uzès, about fifteen minutes from La Valette, this village has been shaped by clay for six centuries. Dozens of ceramic ateliers line its narrow streets. The annual Terralha festival, held every July, draws around twenty ceramic artists from across Europe, with free entry. On non-festival days, the village is quiet enough to hear your own footsteps. Stop at the Musée de la Poterie Méditerranéenne for context, then walk the ateliers at your own pace.
Above the Pont du Gard
Castillon-du-Gard is a restored medieval village on the hill directly above the Pont du Gard, about twenty minutes from La Valette. The views from the ramparts are the kind you remember. Below in the valley, Vers-Pont-du-Gard has good riverside restaurants, and Le Tracteur, a few minutes further in Argilliers, is worth the detour for its truffle menu. Nearby too: Estézargues, a hilltop wine village in the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation, and Saint-Hilaire-d'Ozilhan, whose chapel faces the Pont du Gard directly.
Worth discovering
Collias is the gateway to the Gorges du Gardon, about 12 minutes east of La Valette. Kayak rental, river swimming, a handful of cafés. Blauzac is fifteen to twenty minutes away, barely a village, surrounded by garrigue and silence. Vézénobres, further northwest, is a beautifully restored hilltop village with views over the Cévennes foothills and the "Jours de Figue" fig festival each autumn.
Medieval perch
Lussan sits on a rocky outcrop thirty to thirty-five minutes north of La Valette, an official member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2016. The stone houses look out over an immense plain. Below the village, the Concluses de Lussan are a series of dramatic limestone gorges carved by the Aiguillon river. In summer the riverbed is dry and walkable. In winter, the water returns with force, and Lussan's own truffle market fills the square in January, when the lanes are otherwise empty and the Christmas lights are often still up.
Further north
Lussan is not the only officially classified "plus beau village" near Uzès. Further north, in the Cèze gorges, Montclus and Aiguèze join La Roque-sur-Cèze to complete the Gard's four members of the association. Nearby Goudargues, nicknamed the "Venice of the Gard" for the stream running through its centre, makes a good stop along the way; estimates of the drive time vary enough between sources that we would rather not quote one here, but allow for a longer outing than the villages above. Barjac, further still at around forty-four minutes from La Valette, is worth knowing for one reason: its twice-yearly brocante and antiques fair, running since 1972, held each Easter and in mid-August. Lussan, Goudargues, Saint-Ambroix and Barjac are 21 to 42 minutes from Uzès by car (route planner): see our Cèze villages guide. For walks on foot from the villages around Uzès, with distances and times from named sources and the summer fire-risk rules, see our walking guide.
What we tell guests
When guests ask which village to see if they only have one afternoon, we usually say Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie: it is close, it is quiet outside the Terralha weekend, and you can watch someone actually throwing a pot rather than just buying one in a shop.
If the question is about a meal with a view, we point people past Castillon-du-Gard to Argilliers, because the dining room at Le Tracteur looks out over the same valley without the midday coach traffic. Neither recommendation is exotic. Both are places we would send a friend.
The most rewarding villages within 30 minutes of La Valette are Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie (ceramics, 10-15 min), Lussan (official Plus Beau Village, 30-35 min), Castillon-du-Gard (above the Pont du Gard, 20-25 min), Collias (Gorges du Gardon gateway, 12 min), and Blauzac (quiet, 15-20 min).
Yes. Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie is one of France's main ceramic villages, with dozens of working ateliers. The annual Terralha festival, held every July, draws ceramic artists from across Europe. It is about ten minutes north of Uzès, fifteen minutes from La Valette.
Most villages are a comfortable one- to two-hour visit: a walk through the lanes, a coffee in the square, perhaps a potter's studio or a church. Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie and Lussan can easily fill a half-day if you explore the ateliers or the escarpment walk.
A few villages are reachable by local bus, but services are infrequent and stop early. Cycling is pleasant on the quieter roads, especially to Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie (10 min by car, 25 min by bike). For most villages a car is the practical option.
Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, about ten minutes north, is the closest village most visitors head for first. Several smaller hamlets, Arpaillargues-et-Aureillac, Montaren-et-Saint-Médiers and Saint-Maximin, sit closer still, within about fifteen minutes of La Valette, though they offer little beyond a quiet church square and a view.
Castillon-du-Gard, on the hill directly above the bridge, pairs naturally with a morning at the Pont du Gard: about twenty minutes from La Valette, with ramparts views and riverside restaurants in the valley below at Vers-Pont-du-Gard.
Yes, several. Lussan has been an official member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2016. Further north, in the Cèze gorges, Montclus and Aiguèze join La Roque-sur-Cèze to complete the Gard's four officially classified villages in the association.
Castillon-du-Gard is hard to beat for a half-day: the walk along the ramparts, the view over the Pont du Gard valley, and lunch nearby all fit comfortably into three or four hours from La Valette.
Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, about ten minutes north of Uzès, has dozens of working ceramic ateliers open to visitors year round. The annual Terralha festival, held every July, brings around twenty ceramic artists from across Europe to the village, with free entry.
Le Tracteur, in Argilliers near the Pont du Gard, is known locally for its farm-to-table and truffle menus. Vers-Pont-du-Gard, in the same valley, has several good riverside addresses. Our restaurant guide covers both in detail.
Collias is the better choice for swimming: it is the launch point for kayaking and has easier river access along the Gardon. Castillon-du-Gard sits on the hilltop above the valley and is better for the view than for reaching the water. See our swimming guide for the best spots.
Two restored 18th-century stone apartments near Uzès, in the Gard. Hotel-quality finishes in a village setting. Every village on this page is a short drive from the front door.
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