Roof Top Terraced Apartment in Centre of Uzès

Artist's Apartment details

Home description

Luminous apartment on the third floor of an 18th Century town house with a sunny roof terrace where you can dine under the towers of the Duché - the château of Uzès. The apartment is simply yet comfortably furnished, and decorated with original oil paintings. The kitchen, and both bedrooms afford the luxury of a marvellous view over looking the rooftops of Uzès towards the Duché. The apartment is but 40 yards from the arcaded Place aux Herbes, famous for its colourful Saturday market which you can see by just leaning out of the window!

All the original oil paintings in the apartment are for sale, and it is possible if you are interested to meet with the artists and visit their studios/art galleries while you are in Uzès.

Uzès, the most beautiful town of its size in France was declared a national treasure in the sixties by André Malraux, then minister of culture. The towers of its "Duché" dominate the skyline. Built from the white limestone on which it stands, it is the perfect place to forget about time, relax, and lose oneself in the maze of little streets full of cafés, restaurants and historic sites, or to walk in the shady river valley to inspect the remains of the Roman aqueduct and the spring which once supplied it. The market stalls and small shops contain a wide variety of fresh local produce - olives, spices, fish, wine, lavender honey, cheese and fabrics of Provence. There are also three supermarkets nearby. The apartment, though centrally placed is very quiet and peaceful.

Accommodation detail

The apartment is very well equipped with a television (no satellite), a CD/MP3/Radio player, WiFi internet access,  bookcase with a good selection of paperbacks for your enjoyment.

First floor

Front door with CC TV entry phone opening into:

• Kitchen: Well equipped with electric oven, microwave, ceramic hob, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, electric kettle, cafetière, electric toaster,  and plenty of pots and pans.  6 place settings.  Kitchen window looks over the rooftops to the Duché.
• Living/Dining Room: With separate dining and seating areas and a window onto the street.  Two sofas, easy chairs, coffee table, television. Dining table and chairs.  Book case with good selection of paperbacks.
• Internet corner - Wi-Fi access.
• Bedroom 1: Double bed with bedside tables and lamps, fitted wardrobe, free-standing hand basin in marble surround.  Decorative wrought iron sofa.  Freestand electric fan. Wonderful view over the rooftops to the Duché.

Second floor

• Bedroom 2: Two single beds with bedside tables and lamps, a wardrobe and shelves, view of the Uzès rooftops.
• Bathroom: Bath with hand shower, toilet, hand basin, iron and ironing board,  brand new washing machine, 2 velux skylights.

Outside

Sliding patio doors open onto the wonderful rooftop terrace, which has an iron table and matching chairs, together with a parasol for your outdoor pleasure. There is a marvellous view over the town, and spectacular view of the roofs and towers of the Duché.

About the location

Next to the cathedral stands the romanesque bell tower, la Tour Fenestrelle with its rows of Pisan style arches. Beyond there is a terrace with a view over the Vallée de l'Eure, a sheer drop down to the river Alzon and the remains of the Roman aqueduct, which took water from a massive spring, la Source de l'Eure through the hills to Nîmes, crossing the river Gardon by means of the Pont du Gard.  The landscape between Uzès and the Cévennes is of rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves and garrigue, wilderness, covered in dwarf ilex, wild thyme, box and rosemary. There are beautiful walks along the rivers which cut through the hills, where they slice out deep gorges.

There is good river bathing, canoeing, rock climbing and pony trekking. There are many lovely villages nearby, like St. Quentin-la-Poterie which lives up to its name or Vézenobre which scrambles up an impossibly steep hillside. There is an open air swimming pool 5 minutes walk from the apartment.

• 15 minutes away: the Roman Pont du Gard - photographs do nothing to prepare you for the scale and grandeur of this 2000 year old feat of engineering.
• 30 minutes: Nîmes - the astonishingly preserved Maison Carré (a Roman temple). The Arena - the lanes in the centre of town with their tempting boutiques.
• 30 minutes: Avignon - the papal palace, bridge, and famous theatre festival. Orange - the Roman Theatre and Triumphal Arch. Arles - beautiful small city on the banks of the Rhone with a massive Roman arena. and the haunting Alyscamps, a Roman necropolis painted by Van Gogh, many of whose best-loved works were based in and around the city. Les Baux - fantastic medieval fortress built into the rock on the last outpost of the Alpilles range.
• 40 minutes: Anduze, - 'Gateway to the Cévennes' the Bamboo Garden.
• 45 minutes: St. Rèmy de Provence - the asylum where Van Gogh lived for a year after cutting off half his ear. Ruins of Greco-Roman town of Glanum.
• Beaches: La Grande Motte, Grau-du-Roi, or the vast, remote sandy beach of l'Espiguette. Further afield les Saintes Maries de la Mer famous for its gipsy gatherings and festival in May.
• 1 hour: Montpellier - Place de la Comédie, l'Antigone Post-Modern architecture by Richard Bofill. A lovely city on a human scale.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Ballooning, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Caving, Ceramics, Cycling, Drawing and painting, French tuition, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Paragliding, Photography, Pottery, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Sea excursions, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Walking, Wind Surfing, Wine tasting, Wine touring

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

• By car A7 down the Rhone valley to A9. Exit A9 at Remoulins signed for Pont du Gard, Uzès and Alès. Follow signs to Uzès.
• Ryanair flies to Nimes and Montpellier.
• Eurostar goes to Avignon without changing on Saturdays during the summer. For dates and availability contact Eurostar direct. Or change at Lille for Avignon or Nimes.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.