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Posted by belenenses on 14-Nov-2007 :: Views: 1129 :: Posting ID: 24023

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The expanse of land lying between The Cèze and Ardèche rivers in Southern France is known locally as Valcèzard. That's Val + Cèz + Ard. This territory is much more than just a fabrication by the local tourism department and has an identity all of its own that is more akin to that of Provence. It lies in Gard Provençal and it must be remembered that governmental administrative regions do not normally reflect historically defined or distinct areas on the ground.
Valcèzard is a tale of two rivers, the forest of Valbonne with its Carthusian monastery lying between the two, and sixteen ‘communes’ with their distinctive hill-top villages and expansive vineyards. To the north, The Ardeche gorge cuts spectacularly into the limestone bedrock as it meanders downstream towards the Rhone Valley. The vertical, and occasionally potholed sides, contrast starkly with the meandering calmness of the river bed below, save for the occasional shallow rapids. To the south, The Cèze is much more topographically diverse, with serrated gorges, followed by expansive and flat floodplain, and abrupt waterfalls before calmness is once again resumed.
In stark contrast to the gentle stretches of the Ceze around Goudargues, where a canal flows down ‘Main Street,’ the river then carves great channels and cavities into the rocks at Sautadet, near Roque sur Cèze, the next village to the east, as its waters disappear into a complex network of galleries and cylindrical pot-holes, formed by the swirling movement of the pebbles. The whole site was probably the result of some unusual uplifting of the limestone bedrock five millions years ago.
What gives Valcèzard its unity are the vines, the lavender fields and, yes, the unmistakable homogeneity of the undulating ‘Garrigues’ of Gard Provençal.
For those who would like to get to know this fascinating area, The Enlightened Traveller offers a hike-drive programme, with light walking entitled Hiking Valcèzard which, due to the gifted nature of the Mediterranean climate, is available all year round. The ‘grande finale’ to the week is a hike to the Pont du Gard, but those who love short hikes punctuated by village ‘rambling’ will find this particular programme very attractive indeed.
You'll need a hire car or your own car to get the most out of this hiking tour. Valcèzard is in easy reach of Avignon or Nimes airports and getting between walks and villages is via quiet departmental roads that are a joy to drive on.

© The Enlightened Traveller 2007
To see details of the Hiking Valcèzard walking tour, visit:
http://www.enlightened-traveller.co.uk/pages/Package_Pages.aspx?pkId=d30ad01c-3e87-4bb1-b077-e38e4b22e5c6&pgId=1001

Alternatively, visit:
http://www.walking-languedoc.com/Hiking_Provence_Gard.html

• Contact: Scott Anderson
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• City: Nimes
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