Gard, France travel guide
Gard is one of the departments of France that forms part of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. To the north of the Languedoc region, the department also includes a short stretch of Medietrranean coastline around Aigues-Mortes.
It is undoubtedly the eastern section of the Gard that attracts the most visitors because there are several important attractions. These include both the renowned Roman ruins to be seen at Nimes (and the attractive city itself), and also the Pont du Gard - a roman aqueduct near Nimes.
Also at the eastern end of the department, don't miss the village of Villeneuve-lez-Avignon and its monuments, just across the Rhone river from Avignon (Avignon itself falls in Provence). The twin-towns of Beaucaire and Tarascon are also well placed in the centre of the 'Nimes : Arles : Avignon' triangle if you are exploring the eastern reaches of the Gard department.
Slightly west of Nimes see also Sommieres, a medieval town and castle in an attractive setting while to the south the abbey buildings at Saint-Gilles are not to be missed.
The 'most beautiful village'of La Roque-sur-Ceze is to the north-east of the Gard department, along with Aigueze on the north-eastern frontier with Provence.
In the centre-north of the Gard visit the historical town at Uzes which has some fine medieval buildings, and the unusual 12th century castle at Chateau de Portes.
In the centre visit Vigan and if oriental gardening is your thing you will enjoy the great bamboos at the bamboo garden of Prafrance (near Anduze) which features 15 hectares of exotic bamboo planting.
Towards the west discover the forested slopes and lost villages of the Cevennes Saint-Jean-du-Gard is another attractive small town, while the Cirque de Navacelles and the Abîme de Bramabiau are scenic highlights.
Grand Sites of France
There are just 33 officially listed Grand Sites of France in the whole of France and three of them are in the Gard!
- the Pont du Gard (which is also listed as a UNESCO world heritage site);
- the Cirque de Navacelles (impressive scenic highlight in the Cevennes); and
- the Aven d'Orgnac (caves on the north-east border with the Ardeche).
Coastal Gard
On the coast you should visit the fortified town of Aigues-Mortes
Sun worshippers will want to head for the popular sea resorts and beaches on the coast between Montpellier and Aigues-Mortes at La Grande Motte, Le Grau-du-Roi and Palavas-les-Flots.
Note: Nimes airport falls within the Gard department.
Visit Gard - tourist information
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Places to visit in Gard, France: a local travel guideUse the map of Gard to see the location of selected places and to continue to explore... Place: |
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See a list of all Gard communes
See also Gard (version Francais)
