Your home in Provence

"Oh little town of Uzès", wrote André Gide (whose father was a Uzètien)
"Were you in Umbria, the Parisians would flock to visit you!"
Well, years later, Uzès has been quietly discovered as a town rich in art and history. In 1962 it was selected as one of France's 500 villes d'art and since then much money has been lavished on restoring and repairing the tumbling façades. Recently, Uzès created the perfect stage backdrop for the Gerard Depardieu film "Cyrano de Bergerac".

Summer in Provence is warm and sunset is quite late but the nights are comfortably mild.
In autumn the evenings are cooler but very pleasant for an evening's walk. Even in the colder months of Winter (December to the end of February) the skies are blue and you can often sit outdoors in the winter sun. This period of wild clear skies (Van Gogh's "Starry Night"), though cold, usually only lasts for a couple of weeks

The Mediterranean light of Provence has a poetic luminosity, which inspired many French painters: Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso all produced works portraying this quality. It underscores the atmosphere of nostalgia in the writings of Marcel Pagnol (Jean de Florette). There is a marvellous quality in the landscape that is really very different to our own harsher terrain. One of the winter specialities of the region is the elusive…
Truffle!! Hidden away in the forests of truffle oaks growing in the region, it can only be found with the aid of a pig or truffle dog. You can discover this rare and highly prized fungus at the market held weekly in the Place aux Herbes. But beware; the price can give you a shock!

There are many historical influences at play in the architecture of Uzès and in the surrounding Uzège. The legacy of the Greeks and Romans is particularly obvious with many ancient temples, coliseums, monuments and other buildings still standing today. The most famous monument is, of course, the Pont du Gard, located only 15 km from Uzès. This marvellously preserved portion of the original 52km long Roman aqueduct is well worth a visit.
In the heart of Uzès you will find the grand fortified residence of the first Duchy of France. Its oldest section, the rectangular dungeon called the Tour Bermonde, dates from the 11th century. You can climb the steep spiral escalier d'honneur to the top for views over the shimmering tiles of Uzès' rooftops. The interior is well stocked with period furnishings, complemented by wax dukes and duchesses in their 16th-century finery. Unique in France, the 12th-century Tour Fenestrelle is a cylindrical six-storey gem, named after the rows of double-lit windows that encircle it, inspired by the towers of Ravenna and Lombardy. Inside the Cathédrale St.Théodorit, is a splendid organ of 1670, the only one in France to have retained its original painted shutters. Recently restored, it is the centrepiece of the end-of-July music festival, Nuits Musicales d'Uzès.

Landscape and Scenery
A rich and beautiful environs to explore...
The countryside around Uzès - where fields of asparagus, cherry orchards, forests of truffle oaks and vineyards alternate with scrublands - is dotted with attractive old towns. Stark geological features contrasting with cosy little villages nestling amongst them make outings in it continually surprising.

Leisure Activities
Swimming (at the local swimming pool or at the Pont du Gard “beach”), canoeing (along the Gardon river), golf, Montgolfière (hot air ballooning), abseiling, walking, bicycle touring, and an aquatic park for kids are just some of the many sporting activities in immediate reach of the town.
Cultural activities include art and pottery exhibitions, theatre, concerts, dance performances and the famous International festival of Ancient music (Nuits Musicales d'Uzès) held every year in July in the precincts of the Chateau. Full details of these are available in our guest's guidebook available in each cottage and at the Tourism Office.

Shopping in the town...
Uzès has an amazing variety of shops and boutiques, bars and restaurants, cafés and bakeries, a cinema, jazz-clubs, galleries, and, of course, the justly famous market held every weekend in the Place aux Herbes.
All these are within two or three minutes walk from the house

Local cuisine...
More than anything else, it is the celebrated cuisine that has put Provence in the public eye. A chilled rosé, slices of fresh saucisse, salty olives and goat’s cheese under the Pont du Gard have made a heavenly repast for many visitor including Marcel Pagnol and Lawrence Durrell. But the range of restaurant dining is staggering - stretching from quaint cafés, Carmarguais fishermen’s eating-houses to three-star Michelin elegance.
In each of our cottages you will find a visitor's house book full of suggestions – both our own and also the discoveries of past guests.
There's an abundance of these ambrosial establishments only a short walk from our front door!

View the video!>>
This official video by the French TV channel TF1 is a rather charming glimpse of this extraordinary little town. In the course of it you might catch a reference to how some of its visitors are Australian. We feel we have been instrumental in making it known to Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, British and many other visitors.

For your stay in Uzès you have six excellent choices as follows…