Historic buildings, hiking trails, markets and cultural heritage shape the character of Saint-Jean-du-Gard. Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Saint-Jean-du-Gard can include the town in their personal travel plans.
History and Townscape
The Vieux Pont was built in 1733 to replace a ford over the Gardon fitted with wooden planks. Following its faithful reconstruction, it forms part of the summer promenade known as the “tour des ponts”.
The Tour de l’Horloge is the surviving bell tower of a Romanesque church built in the 12th century by the Benedictines of Saint-Gilles. The Protestant Temple on Place Carnot has been listed in its entirety as a historic monument by decree of 8 August 2019.
Maison Rouge was the last silk spinning mill still operating in France and closed in 1965. The permanent exhibition at Maison Rouge comprises almost 10,000 objects relating to defining themes of Cévennes culture and society, including landscape design, agriculture, religion, silkworm breeding, housing and the chestnut.
Hiking and Landscapes
The Les Escorces hike can be reached by public transport via the “SAINT-JEAN-DU-GARD - La Poste” stop. The route passes through abandoned terraces that were once planted with olive trees and grapevines, follows dry-stone walls and offers views as far as Mont Aigoual.
The route to Pic d’Arbousse offers views of Saint-Jean-du-Gard and the Cévennes. Saint-Jean-du-Gard is the starting point for more than 150 kilometres of marked hiking trails of varying difficulty.
Getting Around
The Chemin de Stevenson was marked out in 1993 as the GR® 70 between Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille and Saint-Jean-du-Gard. Between Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard, the Train touristique des Cévennes offers a 13-kilometre journey with historic steam locomotives to discover the Parc national des Cévennes.
Town Life and Markets
Rando Land is an approximately one-hour circular walk through the town for children aged 4 to 12, during which they discover the heritage of Saint-Jean-du-Gard through riddles. The farmers’ market on Saturday mornings takes place from Easter to All Saints’ Day on the Place de Marché and offers seasonal produce such as goat’s cheese and chestnut honey.
The traditional Tuesday morning market takes place all year round in the centre of Saint-Jean-du-Gard. The food section is located in the covered market halls and their surroundings.
Visitor Information
The Saint-Jean-du-Gard tourist information office provides visitors with documents in large print, a Braille brochure about the town’s heritage and a brochure in plain language.
