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The Gard Provencal website has information on the towns and villages in the Gard. The site includes leisure activities, listings of places to stay, places to eat and museums. In addition there is an interactive map. http://www.gardtourism.com/tabid/3201/Default.aspx is another website with information on the area including hiking, festivals and so on. Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Gard has information on outdoor acitivities including hiking, biking and so on in the Gard. Their office in Nimes is located at 3 place des Arenes, where you can pick up brochures. If you are walking down the rue de la Cite Foulc towards the Musee des Beaux-Arts you will pass the office. The website also has information about the Gard and is a good source for finding out what the area has to offer.
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Lussan Is a picturesque medieval hilltop village northwest of St-Quentin-la-Poterie. The views of the countryside are breathtaking. If you are going to Pont-St-Espirit from the direction of the Ales, the village is only a little out of the way, but worth the slight detour. I took this photo of the chateau.
There is a pottery place in the village called Les Ceramiques de Lussan. For more information click on the link to their website. |
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Nimes www.ot-nimes.fr (there is an English version) Tourist Office of Nimes. You will find information on restaurants, accommodations etc. To find out what’ going on click on “This weekend in Nimes” or “What’s on”. www.chateaudelatuilerie.com Chateau de la Tuilerie - You can sample and purchase a variety of Costieres de Nimes wines. If you are planning on going to a few of the museums or monuments you might consider getting a combined 3 day pass that allows access to participating museums and monuments for one price. You can find out more about the pass by stopping by the Nimes Office of Tourism, located at 6 rue Auguste, across from the Maison Carre. I like to park in the underground parking garage located under the Esplanade de Gaulle (near the Roman Arena). It’s right on the outskirts within easy walking distance to the attractions and makes getting in and out of the city a snap. You can start off exploring the Les Arenes (Roman Arena), continue on through the pedestrian friendly old town with shops, cafes and the Cathedrale de Notre-Dame et St-Castors and continue on to the Carre d’Art, the modern art museum designed by the British architect, Norman Foster and the Maison Carree (a Roman temple). Once you finished visiting the new and old you can make you way along the beautiful tree lined Quai de la Fontaine to the Jardin de la Fontaine, where you can sit and relax. Perhaps even have lunch in this calm oasis. Afterwards you can have a leisurely stroll back to Les Arenes, but instead of making a left to go back to the parking garage, make a right and head towards the Musee des Beaux Arts, which is south of Le Arenes if you are planning on visiting this art museum. The Carré d'Art is a piece of art in itself. The museum has a small permanent collection of modern art and hosts exhibitions from time to time. For more information including current exhibitions click on the link. The Musee des Beaux-Arts is a charming museum with an interesting collection (not the Lourve), but interesting nonetheless. The building built in 1907, is quite lovely and the preserved Roman mosaic floor is quite wonderful and worth a look. A pleasant way to spend an hour. During the summer months concerts, operas and so on take place in Les Arènes. For more information including a schedule of events go to the tourist office located at 6 rue Auguste. Another venue for theatre is the Théâtre de Nîmes. On the the website you will find a schedule of performances. The Festival de Nimes takes place in July at the Arènes and features contemporary and popular musicians. Restaurants: Le Jardin d’Hadrien, 11 rue Enclos-Rey Tele: 04 66 21 86 65. Southeastern regional cuisine. Moderate-Expensive. LOvely outdoor garden. A good place to go for dinner, but lunch with wine might be a little pricey. The menu is posted outside, so you can check the food and prices out before going in. Cote Bleu, 12 Rue Grand Couvent Tele: 06 66 67 36 12. A nice place to go for lunch. The prices are reasonable, the food good and the terrace quite pleasant. Popular with the locales. Located on a quite square on the corner of Rue Grand Couvent and Rue Littre. |
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Pont St-Esprit Is a picturesque village that overlooks the mighty Rhone river. Most of the bridge that the town gets its name from was erected between 1265 and 1309. I believe 19 out of the 25 arches are original. On Saturdays there is a huge market that should not be missed. The stalls line the main streets and the selection of goods will make any die hard shopper happy. Don’t forget to bring a large basket. There is also a 15th century church to explore along with several museums and an incredible view of the Rhone. After spending the morning doing your shopping, you can sit down at one of the outdoor cafes for a leisurely lunch. Restaurants: Restairant Lou Recati, 6 rue Jean Jacques Tele: 04 66 90 73 01. Traditional cuisine. Good food, inexpensive and cosy. Perfect place to have lunch. |
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The Pont-du-Gard and the surronding area The area around the Roman aqueduct is popular for swimming and kayaking. The website (in English) for the Office of Tourism for the Pont du Gard includes a listing of leisure activities, festivals and news and information on the Gordes of the Gardon River. For those interested there is a museum with a multimedia exhibition on the Pont-du-Gard. For information on renting canoes and kayaks go to www.canoe-france.com. Once on the site click on the Gardon. Quad Escape http://www.quad-escape.com/quad/ rents bicycles. Collias is located down from the Pont-du-Gard along the river. There is a beach, places to rent kayaks and walking trails that go along the Gardon river from the Pont-du-Gard to the Pont-St-Nicolas offering some incredible views.
Castillon-du-Gard is a quaint hilltop village with a beautiful Romanesque chapel, St-Caprais. In the summer concerts are perfomed here. A hop,skip and a jump from the Pont-du-Gard. |
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Sommieres Is a lovely village located off the road (N110) that links Montpellier with Ales. You will cross a bridge built by Tiberius between AD 19 and 31. The 12th century square, Marche-Bas, is the perfect place to have lunch. The view on a clear sunny day from the partly destroyed Chateau de Sommieres of the valley is quite beautiful. The British writer Lawrence Durrell spent his last years living in Sommieres and there is a exhibition spaced name after him called Espace Lawrence Durrell that hosts temporary exhibitions. On Saturday there is a large market.
If you have the time the Chateau de Villevieille is nearby (about a mile away). The chateau is still owned by the family that bought it in 1527 and is unique because it was not destroyed nor the furniture sold off during the revolution due to the family’s friendship with Voltaire and Mirabeau.
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St-Quentin-la-Poterie The village has become well known for their exquisite pottery. Be sure to stop by the Maison de la Terre, 14 rue de la Fontaine Tele: 04 66 22 74 48, to view the work of some of the local ateliers and to pick up a guide that includes a map of the village with the locations of the different ateliers. You will also find this information on their website under Les Ateliers de Cermanique along with calendar of events. The site is only in French. The Musee de la Poterie Mediterranean has an eclectic collection of pottery from over he Mediterranean and definitely worth a peek. The Galerie Terra Viva sells contemporary pottery, artwork and jewelry. Restaurants: La Table de l’Horloge, Place de l’Horlogue Tele: 04 66 22 07 01. Intimate with lots of charm. Moderately to expensive. The menu changes daily. The food and ambience are worth the money. For more information including the menu click on the link. Reservations strongly recommended. |
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Uzes is one of the loveliest towns in France. In 1962 it was designated a vill d’art. The big market day is Saturday. In addition there are several other markets held during the week. There are also festivals held throughout the year. I always like to arrive early on Saturday for the market because the market and Uzes in general have become quite popular in recent years making finding a parking space sometimes difficult. By arriving early I find I have less difficulty. Below is a photo I took the Spring of 08 when there was an art fair being held in the Place aux Herbes.
The tourist office is located at Chapelle des Capucins, Place Albert 1er. From June 1st to September 30th the hours of operation are 9am - 6pm Monday through Friday. Saturday, Sunday and Public holidays 10am - 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Open until 7pm during the months of July and August. From October 1st to May 31st. The hours of operation are 9am - 12:30pm and 2pm - 6pm Monday through Friday. On Saturday 10am - 1pm. Closed Sundays, November 1st and 11th, December 25th, January 1st, May 1st and 8th. You can pick up a complimentary copy of The Uzes and Uzege Tourist Office Guide, which has information on restaurants, shopping, local attractions, markets and so fourth. For walking and hiking routes in Gard the TopoGuides Le Gard...a pied features 53 walks and excursions. Another guide which has driving tours and walks for older people and children is dans le Gard - Des balades (rambles) pour petits et grands. Both books are available at the newsstand down from the Office de Tourisme on the Blvd Gambetta. A few streets down from the tourist office on the bis avenue General Vincent there are several shops where for a fee you can access the internet. Nearby there is a golf course Le Golf Club d’Uzes and a water park La Bouscarasse. Festivals and Events: January - Uzes Truffle Day takes place the 3rd Sunday in the place aux Herbes. June - Festival de la Nouvelle Danse (modern dance festival) and Festival of Garlic. For more information click on the link (French only). July - Les Nuits Musicales d’Uzes (Renaissance and Baroque music festival). For more information click on the link (French only). The Uzes Office of Tourism has a website where you can find information on restaurants, a more complete list of festivals/events and so on, go to www.uzes-tourisme.com. There is an English version of the site. Restaurants: Le Renaissance, 6 place aux herbes, Tele: 04 66 03 11 82. Right on the main square this lovely and quaint restaurant oozes atmosphere. Great place to go for lunch after the market. The salads and pizzas are excellent! Le Dampmartin, 14 Rue Republique Tele: 04 66 22 15 49. Terrific Italian food at really good prices. Extremely friendly service and pleasant atmosphere. In the warmer months there is outdoor dinning. One of my personal favorites when I am in the mood for Italian. Makes a nice change too. Les Trois Salons, 18 Rue du Docteur Blachard Tele: 04 66 22 57 34. Expensive. Nice place to go if you are in the mood to treat yourself to a fancy meal. Reservations recommended. La Taverne, Rue Sigalon Tele: 04 6 22 47 08. Moderately priced. There is a lovely back garden for dinning during warm weather. The vaulted ceiling and soft colors make for a delighful evening. All the dishes are made with fresh ingredients. For a listing of restaurants in Uzes go to http://www.gard-provencal.com/an/restau/listing.php4?id_village=85 |
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Vezenobres
Is a beautiful medieval hilltop village (the highest point is 219 meters) overlooking the gardons of Ales and Anduze. Several hiking paths go through the village. You will find information about these trails at the tourist office in the village. For more on this village go to www.cdt-gard.fr/ot/vezenobres/ Restaurants: Au Grenier d’Aladin, Place de la Mairie Tele: 04 66 83 50 24. Moderately priced. Seasonal regional cuisine. Lunch/Dinner. Great food and exceptional service. During warmer months you can dine al fresco on the beautiful little square with a fountain. Reservations recommended. Le Relais Sarrasin, on the D936 (below the medieval village) Tele: 04 66 83 55 55. Moderately priced. Regional cuisine. Located in the local Logis (hotel). Excellent food and service. Nearby in Ales there is Le Cog Hardi, 7 rue Mandajors Tele: 04 66 52 15 75. Traditional cuisine. Great value. Be sure not to arrive too late because they might stop serving. I like to get to the restaurant no later than 8:30. It is not a big city like Paris or New York where people tend to eat later than they do in the country.
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