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The Duchy of Uzes

The Duchy of Uzes
The Duchy of Uzes :

Uzes is a lovely town of southern France, protected by the label Ville d’Art et d’Histoire. The site is an exceptional and stunning combination of beauty, history, nature and modernity. The landscape is so beautiful that many people call it the “French Tuscany”.
There’s so many vestiges and wonders to discover in there. From the Market square to the Medieval Garden, come and admire the impressive castle of the Duchy or the magnificent St Theodorit Cathedral. Spring and summer are maybe the most touristic seasons, but, it is actually better to discover in a warm autumn, when less people come and you can still enjoy the charms of the town…

Uzes Heritage :

Strolling through the maze like streets of this town, take time to discover the small squares and all the architectonic jewels from the 17th and 18th centuries. The many privates mansions from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century and their precious façades enhance the attractions of the streets and of the small squares.
Maybe the most interesting curiosity of the town : The Duchy of Uzes. Actually, the name of the Duchy is a great complex of buildings : some medieval buildings, the Gothic Chapel, and obviously, the main building : The Great Castle. There you can admire all its furniture from the 17th century, the tapestries, the paintings or the keep and the Bermonde Tower. From the top of this tower, you can see and discover the whole town.

Some steps away you can reach another beautiful building : St Theodorit Cathedral. Maybe the most surprising part of the building is the Fenestrelle, bell tower (the Windows bell tower) a pure jewel of Romanesque architecture. The cathedral is maybe one of the visited monuments thanks to its beautiful paintings, the lovely organ that still preserves its original panels from the 17th century or its green and yellow tiles. If you want to visit other religious places, St Steven Church and its baroque style is very surprising with a shape of Greek cross. Do not miss the Capuchin’s Chapel.



If the day is too warm, a good option to keep a little bit of freshness is to discover the museums of the city.
When you travel in family, the children like to discover the museum of trains and toys, but the best to discover in family is The Haribo Candy museum ! For people who enjoy Art and History, museum Georges Borias is the right place to know the whole history of the city and admire ceramics and craft as well.


A stroll in the Medieval Garden :

Enjoy a relaxing moment in a green and quiet place : the Medieval Garden, located just some steps away from the Market Square. In there, more than 450 species of plants are preserved : vegetable plants, medical plants, condiment plants or just decorative plants… Just to please the view and the smell. In the same garden from the top of a tower, enjoy a nice view over the city.


The Eure valley :

A little mile away from the town, another green, fresh and nice place is perfect to relax in between friends and family.
Ideal for a picnic, there is even a "sporty path" for the youngest ones. A little walk leads to the remains of the Roman aqueduct and of a withholding water basin. The Eure Valley was primordial for the Romans, because thanks to the spring, a 26-mile-long aqueduct was leading water to the city of Nimes. The most famous remains of this aqueduct is the "Pont du Gard".


Uzes Stud Farm centre :

If you want a little bit of action, the Uzes Stud farm is made for you. In France, there is 21 national farms like this one. This place is not only made to discover or rediscover the pleasures of horse riding, it is also a good option to discover the city thanks to a horse ride. After this effort, a gourmet stop would make you discover all the flavours of this region.


Local Markets :

Uzes always was a land of cereal and vegetable productions, and as a good example, many farms around are still producing local specialities such as asparagus, truffles, fruits...
Since the 13th century, Saturday is the Market day and happened on the main squares of the city :

- The Herb Square (main market square) was the place where they’d sell the fruits, vegetables and other plants.

- The Wheat Square (now Albert the 1st Square) dedicated to the cereal business

- The King Tower Square was the pig market



Nowadays, the Herbs Sqaure or just Market Square is still the highlight fduring the Saturday weekly market. On this nice place with its fountain and the covered galleries, but also on the main boulevards, more than 200 merchants are present. What a good place to taste the local specialities : Olives, aromatic herbs and grasses, Pelardon chesses, cold meats, fougasse (local bread with olives, cheeses or ham) or honey.

If you want to discover and follow us to Uzes watch our next programs :

One day :

-Uzes and Art and Craft : https://www.guidesud.com/en/tours-and-travels/uzes-and-st-quentin-la-poterie

-Uzes and Roman Antiquity : https://www.guidesud.com/en/tours-and-travels/uzes-and-pont-gard

Groups :https://www.guidesud.com/en/our-travels/languedoc-provence-travel


 


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