15 minutes drive from here.
A small medieval hilltop village, Aiguèze, which overlooks the start to the Gorges de l’Ardèche, grew up around a medieval castle, the ruins of the castle still dominate the village’s horizon.
Aigueze is the first village in the Gard to have been labelled Plus Beau Village de France, a very beautiful little village with the remains of its fortress, its picturesque houses along its cobbled streets, its small square lined with plane trees and its church with its Renaissance portal.
45 minutes drive from here.
Avignon, the “City of the Popes”, is magnificent. It has preserved its ramparts and its historic centre, composed of the Palace of the Popes, the Episcopal Complex, the Rock of the Doms and the Avignon Bridge. It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Avignon Festival (held every July) is one of the most important international events of contemporary performing arts.
5 minutes drive from here
Goudargues is our closest village with amenities (9 km). It has more than 10 restaurants, 3 bars, a canal through the middle, 2 supermarkets, a Post Office, several doctors and nurses and a rather magnificent ice cream shop.
Goudargues has many walks and cycle routes, ideal for lovers of sport and nature.
In 800, after the Roman occupation, the monks of Aniane founded a Benedictine abbey, draining the marshes and creating canals for water, one of which supplied the two water mills, one for flour and one for olive oil. This was the start of Goudargues.
10 minutes drive from here
La Roque-sur-Cèze is built on a rocky peak overlooking the Cèze river and spanned by an old bridge with twelve arches. Dominated by the remains of an old castle and its Romanesque chapel, the village with its steep paths offers a breathtaking view of the Cascades de Sautadet (waterfall).
1 hour drive from here
Nîmes is 50 km away, 1 hour by car.
It was headquarters to the Crocodile Roman legion, hence you will find crocodile motifs across the city.
Nîmes has remarkable Roman buildings such as the arenas of Nîmes, the Magne tower or the Square House. Its culture and history are particularly rich.
The centre is full of bars and restaurants and, of course, the amphitheatre, Maison Carré and much more.
During the summer, every Thursday (Jeudi) evening, the whole centre is full of activities, fun to visit.
There are also concerts in the arena, organised as part of the Festival de Nîmes.
45 minutes drive from here.
A city of art and history, Orange shines with its exceptional historical heritage.
As soon as you enter the city, you will find yourself at the heart of Roman civilization by discovering the Arc de Triomphe d’Orange (26-27 AD), which stands majestically with its three arches.
Another marvel, classified as a world monument: the famous Ancient Theatre. Built at the beginning of the Christian era, it is the only Roman theatre in Europe to have preserved its stage wall.
30 minutes drive from here.
Uzès is described as the “First Duchy of France”. Magnificent city with a lot of charm. Many restaurants and bars, monuments in perfect condition.
45 minutes drive from here.
A city of art and history, Orange shines with its exceptional historical heritage.
As soon as you enter the city, you will find yourself at the heart of Roman civilization by discovering the Arc de Triomphe d’Orange (26-27 AD), which stands majestically with its three arches.
Another marvel, classified as a world monument: the famous Ancient Theatre. Built at the beginning of the Christian era, it is the only Roman theatre in Europe to have preserved its stage wall.
Our area is not particularly famous for its food. Marseille has its bouillabaisse, the South West has confit de canard, cassoulet, foie gras, Lyon is the gastronomic center of France. We have fresh figs, apricots, melons, almonds …. and the local speciality of brandade de morue – salt cod paste, which tastes much better than it sounds.
Restaurants range from guinguettes next to the river (serving steak, sausages, chips and beer and wine) to some truly exceptional cuisine. If you are on a budget, go to a good restaurant at lunchtime during the week – most of them serve a set menu for a fraction of the price in the evening.
Kirsty, a fantastic cook, can offer meals, as well as teaching people how to make simple, but delicious dishes, ranging from canapés through to desserts.
The Languedoc (or Occitanie as it is now known) is one of the largest wine areas in the world. In the past, it had a (deservedly) poor reputation for piquette (bad wine) but, in the last 30 years, the quality has rocketed. The immediate area around us has a large number of excellent vineyards, most of which will let you come and taste with no obligation to buy. The Duché d’Uzès appellation ensures a high level of quality and Chateauneuf du Pape is only 3/4 hour away.
In addition, Ben is a wine buff and can offer tastings in his vaulted cellar, as well as light wine courses, ranging from the history of wine to discovering the local grape varieties, to appropriate food pairings. He is not an expert and believes that the best wine is the one that you prefer, not what others tell you is the best. He considers that the wines in this area are possibly the best value wines in the world (quality vs price).
