www.uzes.fr.  In the dusty, scrub-covered hills of the garrigue, Uzès announces itself with a flourish of medieval towers. The focal point of this attractive old town is place de la République (locals call it the place aux Herbes) with its arcaded buildings and colourful Saturday morning market laid out under the trees.

Two of the most imposing towers, including the original 11thC watchtower, are attached to the Duché d’Uzès, a feudal castle founded (and still inhabited) by the Crussol d’Uzès family. An homogenous pile of Renaissance and classical additions houses appartments furnished in Louis XIII-XV styles with paintings and tapestries; there is also a 15thC Gothic chapel, a waxworks exhibit and panoramic views from the Tour Bermond. Across place du Duché, the 18thC Hôtel de Ville hosts summer season concerts in the courtyard.

Head east on rue Boucairie for the 17th-19thC Cathédrale de Saint-Théodorit, rebuilt after the Revolution. Its elegant Italianate campanile, the 12thC Tour Fenestrelle. was part of the original edifice. From place Jean-Racine there are views south to the Alzon Valley. The River Eure rises nearby, tapped by Roman engineers in 19 AD to provide Nîmes with fresh water. An impressive section of their 50 km-long aquaduct, the Pont du Gard, still stands 16 km south of town on the Avignon road.