Quick answer
Calvisson is about 42 km from Uzès, 45 minutes by car according to a route planner. There is no direct bus: two buses via Nîmes take about 2h19. We found no drive time to Villevieille or Aubais, which lie nearer to Sommières. The castle of Villevieille is open in summer only: in 2026 from 1 July to 30 September.
Good for: a slow half day among small villages, with a short climb to windmills and a castle visit in summer.
Not for: a castle visit outside July, August and September, or a day without a car.
These are villages to walk through rather than to tick off: no big museum, just a castle that is still a home, a staircase admired by Vauban and a hill where windmills turned. Start from Sommières, add Nîmes or Anduze, and finish at the sea at Aigues-Mortes.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | Calvisson is about 42 km and 45 minutes by car (a route planner, Rome2Rio). Two buses via Nîmes take about 2h19, with no direct bus. We found no drive time to Villevieille or Aubais, about 12 km from Sommières for Aubais. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day. |
| Calvisson | A village in the Vaunage, the plain between Nîmes, the Vidourle and the sea, that grew around the priory of Saint-Saturnin. Gard tourism lists the ruins of an 11th-century castle, the church Saint-Saturnin, the fountain of the Inquête, the Florent wash-house and the empègues, linked to the bull tradition, with an interpretation trail of about two hours. A Sunday market and a house of boutis are mentioned. | We found no opening hours: ask the town hall or the tourist office. |
| The Roc de Gachone | A hill 167 metres above the village where eight windmills stood under the Ancien Régime, according to Gard tourism. Objectif Gard describes a 360-degree view over the plain and the Cévennes from the top, and a walking site calls the outing short and easy. | The height is given above the village, not above sea level. |
| Villevieille | The castle stands above the Vidourle valley, built from about the year 1100 by the lords Bermond de Sauve and d'Anduze, and is still lived in by the same family. The visit is guided, one hour, in French and compulsory, with no booking for individuals. The village is in the inventory of sites, and a bus stop lies less than ten minutes on foot away. | Open from 1 July to 30 September in 2026; the 2027 season is not published. Sources give the family's tenure as five centuries or since 1529. |
| Aubais | The château is listed as a historic monument. A fortress of the 13th century, of which one round tower survives, it was rebuilt in 1680-1685 in the classical style, with a central pavilion and a monumental staircase of 25 metres under a dome, designed by the engineer Ponce Alexis de La Feuille and the architect Gabriel Dardaillhon and admired by Vauban. The Association des Patrimoines d'Aubais runs guided visits and a Maison des Patrimoines in the former presbytery. | Visits are organised by the association, mostly in September for the heritage days: ask them for the 2027 dates. |
| Sommières and the quarries of Junas | Sommières is a Petite Cité de Caractère: the climb to its castle gives a view, the interior is open in summer, and the garden and walkway are open all year. At Junas, the Carrières du Bon Temps are former quarries that supplied stone for the Roman bridge of Sommières and for other towns; they host summer events such as a jazz festival and are open to walkers for a picnic. A walking site describes a loop between Villevieille, Sommières and Junas. | The quarries are a site for walkers and events, not a visitor centre: we found no hours. Saint-Christol, another village of the area, gave us nothing more than a remark about its medieval look and vineyard, so we say no more. |
In season
Summer for the castle, spring for the hill
The castle of Villevieille was open from 1 July to 30 September in 2026, and the 2027 season is not yet published, so a summer 2027 visit means checking in spring. The Roc de Gachone and the Vaunage are comfortable walks in spring and autumn; in summer, check the fire-risk map for the Gard before you set off.
A day
Windmills, then a castle
Climb the Roc de Gachone in the morning, then spend the afternoon at Villevieille or, in September, at Aubais with the heritage association. Sommières is the town to finish in. We give no drive times between the villages because we did not find any.
Combine
Add a town or the sea
Sommières is the closest base, Nîmes the larger city, Anduze the gateway to the Cévennes, and Aigues-Mortes the walled town by the sea.
Frequently asked
A day in the villages south of Sommières
About 42 km and 45 minutes by car according to a route planner (Rome2Rio). There is no direct bus; two buses via Nîmes take about 2h19.
Yes, in summer: in 2026 it was open from 1 July to 30 September, with a compulsory guided visit of one hour in French, often led by a member of the family that lives there. The 2027 season is not yet published.
The château, a historic monument rebuilt in 1680-1685, with a monumental staircase of 25 metres under a dome that Vauban admired. Visits are run by the Association des Patrimoines d'Aubais, which also has a Maison des Patrimoines, and there are heritage days in September.
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