The Destination Pays d'Uzès Pont du Gard offers more than 500km of hiking trails that can be discovered all year round. The natural landscapes, geological wonders and unsuspected rural heritage contribute to the richness of the destination. In this blog post, we invite you to (re)discover 10 hikes around Uzès and the Pont du Gard.
The La Capelle-et-Masmolène pond trail
Explore the hamlets of Capelle-et-Masmolène and discover their heritage treasures through this hike. Among them, the Romanesque chapel, the windmill and the feudal castle are must-sees in the village.
At the heart of a Natura 2000 protected natural site, La Capelle pond is a mecca for ornithologists. It is also the ideal spot for photography enthusiasts. The second largest wetland in the Gard behind the Camargue, it is home to rare specific fauna and flora.
The path of the Blauzac capitelles
This charming walk on the scrubland paths will make you discover the capitals, these dry stone shelters typical of the region which date from the 3th – XNUMXth centuries. The highlight of the walk? The site of the XNUMX cabins, superbly restored and highlighted by the association La Librotte.
Discover the history of this heritage linked to the cultivation of vines, cereals, olive trees and pastoralism.
The La Baume Saint-Vérédème hike, Sanilhac-Sagriès
Departing from the village of Sanilhac, this walk offers an exceptional view of the Gardon gorges. It is also here that the oldest Christian construction in the region is located, the Saint-Vérédème hermitage (8th century). As well as a bat cave and several windmills.
Small + : observe the right bank of the Gardon. You can see the winding road where scenes from the film “The Wages of Fear” with Yves Montand were filmed. (1953)
The remains of the Roman aqueduct, Vers-Pont-du-Gard
Following the remains, follow the route taken by the Roman aqueduct to carry water to Nîmes in the 1st century. of our era. From Vers-Pont-du-Gard to Mémoires de Garrigues, discover the stone used to build the Pont du Gard and numerous local constructions.
Are also to be discovered in the village of Vers-Pont-du-Gard :
- the 3 wash houses
- Saint-Pierre Chapel
- the clock tower
- Saint-Julien Parish Church
- The prehistoric caves (Balauzière, Salpétrière)…
The hermitage of Collias
The Collias hermitage is a lovely, shaded family hike that offers magnificent views of the surrounding cliffs. On the site, discover a troglodyte dwelling, occupied since the Neolithic period, the Notre-Dame de Laval chapel built on the site of a pagan temple in the 12th century and an old cemetery.
The aqueduct trail and its Roman tunnels, Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard
This hike near the Pont du Gard will allow you to discover the site of the Escaunes valley and the Sernhac tunnels dug by the Romans for the passage of the aqueduct.
The departure from Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard allows you to visit this very pretty medieval village, its narrow streets
stone walls and its imposing 9th century fortified church. From the latter, enjoy the panorama over the Rhône Valley and Mont Ventoux.
The Fournès Pits hike
The Fosses de Fournès, in the commune of the same name, offer an unreal landscape, made up of
clay peaks 10 to 30 m high, eaten away by erosion and their exploitation for tile factories. Their
slopes are cut by multitudes of vertiginous furrows and are articulated with arid basins. All punctuated by kermes oaks, wild lavender, thyme or rosemary which cling to this pale and clayey earth.
The Eure Valley Trail, Uzès
Below Uzès is the Eure Valley in which the Eure spring supplied water to the
city of Nîmes passing by the Pont du Gard in Roman times.
Ideal for a picnic, a refreshing moment or a Sunday stroll, the Eure Valley is a real cool spot that will allow you to tame the strong summer heat of Gard. This hike in Uzès will take you to the orientation table which offers a superb view of the towers of Uzès.
Lussan’s conclusions
5 km north of Lussan, the Concluses site offers you a dive into a world of wild gorges, dug over time by the Aiguillon river.
Escarpments and chaos of rocks lead to a narrow defile into which one plunges to then wander among the cavities in the river bed called the “Devil’s Pots”.
The Castillones, Aramon
The "Castillones" is the name of the ridge that proudly dominates the village from the west. Discover a
exceptional panorama from the Dentelles de Montmirail to Mont Lozère via Mont
Ventoux, all in the intoxicating scents of the scrubland.
For more information on these hikes around Uzès and the Pont du Gard, see our bike & walking map.
And if you are more into cycling, discover the 5 cyclo-discovery loops of the destination.
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