Cimbrone

Am still waffling between Burgundy and the South of France. I'm intrigued by Uzes and this hotel www.hoteldentraigues.com/frameuk.htm
Sounds like a good place to roost and take daytrips to Arles, Avignon, Nimes, and Aix (all of which I've visited, with the exception of Nimes.) Anyone know about Uzes?

kevin_widrow

Been there many times. Great town - beautiful architecture. And a good location for visitng all of the places you mentioned with the exception of Aix, which will involve a bit more of a drive.

Can't help you with the hotel, however.

-Kevin

cigalechanta

We have been several times. There is a fabulous Saturday market with lots of pottery. We did stay at that hotel, very nice except they cancelled our dinner without telling us because of booking a wedding but that turned out to be great and ate at a wonderful place, Les Trois Salons. I wrote about it on my trip report last year.

Cimbrone

Thanks to both of you! I will look for your trip report, cigalechanta.

cigalechanta

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34677566

Maribel

A third thumbs up for Uzes, just beautiful architecture, as kevin says, and like cigale we enjoyed the busy Sat. market. Very easy trip to Pont du Gard from there. We made a day trip from Les Baux to P du G and Uzes. Also an easy drive from Uzes to Nimes. I'd love to return to spend several nights someday.

Dee_Dee

While I can't help you with the hotel, I'll give another vote for Uzes. It's an absolutely lovely town with a fabulous chateau open for tours (French only). Climb up to the top of the walls of the chateau for a wonderful view. IMHO, the scenery around Uzes isn't as lovely as the Alpilles area but I loved Uzes just the same. It's not as overun with tourists as the more popular areas just east of the Rhone. Consider buying a picnic, renting a boat & paddling down the crystal clear river under the Pont du Gard.

Have a great time wherever you go.

PBProvence

Another vote for Uzès here. I love this town and have been recommending it for years. I can't tell you anything about the hotel either... since i live only 40 minutes away, I've never stayed in one there.

I love visiting the Medieval Garden... they give a great tour which is fascinating. The nearby village of St. Quentin de Poterie is fun to visit as well, and the countryside is beautiful.

Patricia

AnselmAdorne

Cimbrone, we've stayed there for a total of four weeks over the past several years. I love Uzes, and yes, as others have pointed out, it is well located for excursions to Pont du Gard, Arles, Les Baux, Nimes, Aigues-Mortes, St-Remy, Avignon, and les Alpilles, just to name a few.

Some of the most pleasant hours of my life have been spent sipping wine under the plane trees in the city square. There are markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings; it's truly a delightful place.

How long would you be there? If you're thinking of staying a week, I can suggest a house that we have rented on two occasions.

Anselm

sandi

Another vote for Uzes. We didn't expect to visit, but took a turn on way to Nimes and glad we did. It's a gem. One of the few cathedrals that had light flowing in the windows... and great organ!

Of all the daytrips you mention, Aix is a bit out of the way - diagonally opposite from Uzes. The others are easy.

Cimbrone

Thanks to you all! With the unanimous raves about Uzes, I think I've made my decision. Churches, markets, plane trees, and that Mediterranean light...it sounds like heaven.

Anselm, thanks for the offer. I think our stay will be more like five days and then off to our friend near Grenoble. Still, I wouldn't mind a link if you have one.

AnselmAdorne

Hi Cimbrone,

I'm two days away from my bookmarks back in Halifax. I'll be home Monday evening and will post the link to the house on this thread no later than Tuesday morning.

Congratulations on choosing Uzes. I think you'll love it.

Anselm

PBProvence

I don't think you'll regret your choice...
while you're there, don't miss the Pont du Gard (only 15 minutes away) and the perched village of Castillon du Gard nearby.

Patricia

Maribel

Anselm,
Lucky you!
I would love to know about your rental as well. My friends and I, who rented a villa btwn. St. Remy and Les Baux last summer would love to spend a week exploring that area of the Gard from Uzès.

Cimbrone,
I saved a large article about lodging and dining in the Pays d'Uzès from the French Saveurs magazine hopping to use it some day.

It recommends for dining
"La Table de l'Horloge" in Saint-Quetin-la-Poterie
"Le Fou du roi" in Pougnadoresse
"L'Authentic" in Saint-Siffret
"L'Amphitryon" in Castillon-du-Gard
"Les Trois Salons" (which gets a 15 and heart from Gault Millau), "l'Atelier Gourmand" (new in '03) and "Le Bistrot du Grèzac" in Uzès.

For lodging it features "Villa des Bains" in Uzès.
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/l...rd/villa-bains

and in nearby Saint-Maximin "Le Château de Saint-Maximin"
www.chateaustmaximin.com
www.chateauxhotels.com

in Collias the "Hostellerie le Castellas"
www.lecastellas.com

just outside of Uzès, "Château d'Arpaillargues"
www.chateaudarpaillargues.com

also on the road to Arpaillargues '"Le Manoir des Sources"
www.manoirdessources.fr

Forgot to mention, the Roman theater of Orange and the wine towns of Tavel and Châuteauneuf-du-Pap are also easy day trips from Uzès.
The town holds a modern dance festival from June 10-24 and a Festival des Nuits Musicales, classical music festival from July 15-31.
www.uzes-tourisme.com

cigalechanta

From that list: We love the Grézac for lunch on the sidewalk to people watch and have wonderful oysters, moules and other fares.It was recommended to us by the charming man who owns the La Maison de la Truffe on the Place de la Herbes.
Trois Salons was special.

Cimbrone

Thanks to each of you for your kind suggestions. This thread will be coming with me!

Maribel

Cimbrone,
Forgot to mention that the Château d'Arpaillargues is also recommended in the Gault Millau, both as a lodging and dining choice, with prix fixe menus from 26-45€

And le Pudlo guide says that the "good table of the moment in the heart of Uzès" is "Au Fil de 'Eau" on 10 Place Dampmartin. The Bottin Gourmand guide agrees.

You probably know this quite well, but the Hotel d'Entraigues is a selection in the Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay/France.
www.specialsplacestostay.com

I can hardly wait to return!

AnselmAdorne

Cimbrone and Maribel, here's the link. It's property number 858 on www.frenchconnections.co.uk

We rented it for a week in 2002 and for two weeks in 2004. It's a cosy place for two, only steps from Place des Herbes. If you'd like to know anything else about it, just ask.

Anselm

Maribel

Anselm,
Thanks so much! It's very, very well priced. Are there ceiling fans? This would be for a late June rental. Our house in St, Rémy did have ceiling fans, which made that hot, hot Provençal summer weather a bit more bearable.

Thanks again.

AnselmAdorne

Maribel, it is a very reasonable price, but you do have to pay a supplement for linens. I’ve forgotten how much that was, but it didn’t strike us as expensive. And, unlike most rentals, there was a choice of cleaning the place up on departure or paying an additional cleaning fee. We cleaned.

I don’t think there were ceiling fans when we were there, but our visits were in September and May, so we weren’t really looking for them. It certainly could be an issue in June, although there are huge trees just outside that shade the south-facing windows. Some of the places we’ve rented over the years supply portable electric fans, but neither my wife nor I can remember whether there were any there.

The owner (his name is on that listing) is, I gather, an English architect who renovated this house, and he now lives in another house immediately behind the rental. We found him very easy to deal with.

My wife describes this place as being “a bit minimalist.” The kitchen and dining table are on the ground floor, with a large window letting on to the pedestrian street. There is a steep flight of stairs to the second floor sitting room, where there was a couch, chair, bookcase, and desk. There is another tall window here overlooking the street. Another flight of steep stairs takes you up to the bedroom, a low-ceilinged cosy retreat with a large bathroom with a big tub and a separate shower. There is a closet off the bedroom with a washer, dryer, and ironing board. We found the owner’s choice of colours subtle and appealing.

Its location may be hard to picture. It stands on a pedestrian laneway that is elevated above the street below. If there is any disadvantage to this, it is that the street below is part of that boulevard that circles Uzès. You will hear traffic noise, something that doesn’t bother me too much, but might disconcert some. It is otherwise ideal—there are some excellent bakeries and butchers in Uzès, and the seductive charms of Place des Herbes--lovely cafés and the twice-weekly market--are within crawling distance. So is Bistro du Grezac; like cigalechanta, we have enjoyed that lively place.

I'm going to see if I can winkle out some of our photos of the house. If I can find any, I'll put them on PBase and re-post here with a link.

Anselm