Vézénobres is a ‘Village Perché Medieval’ – a medieval village perched on the side of a hill overlooking the beautiful surrounding countryside on the foothills of the Cevennes. It is classed as ‘un des villages les plus beaux du Gard’ (one of the prettiest villages in the department of the Gard) and whilst benefiting from a vast amount of recent restoration work to both its private and public buildings, it still retains the charm and authenticity of its yesteryears. Its winding streets and endroumes (or alleyways) and mediaeval buildings with their honey coloured stone facades have borne witness to centuries of enchanted passersby, whilst modern day Vézénobres has all the amenities for the 21st century tourist including restaurants, boulangerie, tabac, supermarket, post office, pharmacy and beauty salon!
A brief history of the village reveals a wealth of information about its rich cultural heritage. Originally one of the 24 fortified villages built to protect Roman Nimes, it expanded in the Middle Ages and many of the buildings which still stand today date back to the XIIth – XIVth Centuries. It was during this period that its heritage as a national site for fig production began – a tradition which has been recently restored as 800 fig trees have been replanted on the terraces in order to preserve the 100 varieties of fig – and the village is host to 2 annual fig festivals which draw thousands of visitors of all nationalities.
Vézénobres lies on the Régordane Way – an ancient Pilgrims Route and also a route important to the local trades in the area of wine, silk, olives and figs – all of which helped to boost the fortunes of the village, which is evident in the grand village houses standing proud over the hillside terraces. Lying just off the Route Nationale 106 from Nimes to Alès, it is a gem in the wonderful crown that is The Gard and it is perfectly located to enjoy the wealth of activities and attractions the area has to offer.
5 minutes drive north is the bustling town of Alès, and it is within easy reach of the vast sandy beaches of the Mediterranean, the vineyards of the Côtes du Rhone, the cultural sites of historic significance such as Avignon and the Pont du Gard, and the cosmopolitan towns of Montpellier, Nimes and Uzès.
Nimes is located at the foot of the main autoroute to the South of France, and Vézénobres is a 20 minute drive north along the route national to Ales. There is a daily TGV rail service to Nimes which takes just 3 hours from Paris, the Eurostar operates a service to nearby Avignon, and there is good access to a number of airports such as Nimes, Montpellier and Marseille, which have daily flights from most areas of the UK.
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