On Saturday we went back to the beautiful bastide town of Uzès. An hour and a half from Lourmarin, just west of Avignon, we often visit on a Saturday. We get up early to stop off on route at the Antique Market in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, a weekly event across the river from Avignon, to then hurry on to Uzès where on a Saturday Uzès plays host to arguably one of the finest markets in the region. This delightful duchy holds a special place in my heart. It's where we lived in 2012 and where the story of Shutters and Sunflowers began. It's also the stage for my World War II historical novel, The Sunflower Field, the true story of the Polish cryptologists who having cracked The Enigma Code in 1932, lived in hiding in Uzès, for two years during the war.

And within minutes of arriving back I was reminded of the inspiration for the title of my blog. The shutters adorning the windows of Uzès that so captivated me,

and the golden smiling faces of the sunflowers, which long after they've danced their annual repertoire in nearby fields, still fill the flower baskets in the market.

A market that was in full swing when we found our way there, shaded below its' leafy canopy in Uzès central square, Place-aux-Herbes.

Amongst the abundance of fresh produce was local purple garlic,

and colorful whicker baskets, greatly reduced in price as the summer season has begun to dwindle to a close.

And announcing the arrival of autumn, there was a wide variety of mushrooms, including a Provençal speciality, cèpes, only available for a few weeks at this time of year.

The market winds its way along the cobbled streets between the town's splendid golden arches.

And by lunchtime the restaurant tables are full, weary shoppers tempted by the plat du jours. Laughter and chatter fill the air and no-one seems to notice the market slowly slip away.

Leaving the bustle behind, it's an ideal time to explore the now deserted streets.

One quickly becomes immersed in the charming ambience of this truly special place. A timeless enchantment which never fades.

The worn steps of Rue rue Saint-Théodorit entice us down.

And finding our way back to Place-aux-Herbes, all swept and cleaned, it's hard to believe just moments earlier this was the hub of a busy, heaving market.

Crossing the square we wandered into a local favorite, the one shop I always have to return to, Les Pots d'Uzès

I wished I could buy some more, especially the very largest ones for my outdoor patio.

I had to content myself with just looking ......

As we made our way back through the streets we caught a glimpse of one of the treasures of Uzès, the Fenestrelle Tower, peeking its head above the roof tops.

Nearby a sunflower smiled in greeting outside one of the local artisan's shops.

We passed by more ancient, shuttered buildings,

and lingered for one last time in Place-aux-Herbes, not wanting to leave.

Standing wistfully outside the house where we lived (which I've featured in my novel)

we wandered back down the street and as always, I wondered disloyally, if maybe we should have bought in Uzès, it always beguiles me so....

Driving back, we promised ourselves to soon make a trip back to the magnificent walled city of Avignon.

And through the front windscreen, as we caught a glimpse of Le Pont Saint Benezet, we found ourselves humming the nursery tune we'd both learned in Primary school, 'Sur la Pont d'Avignon...'

That evening, back in Lourmarin, sitting outside our beloved Café Gaby, my doubts about where we should have our house in Provence, fade. I'll always adore Uzès and love every moment we spend there, but this is where we belong.....

Come and see for yourself!

Download  The PDF Travel Guide for Uzès my travel tips about Uzès

Rent Maison des Cerises ~our house in Provence, already taking bookings for 2022!

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There are many places to dine near Uzès, all just a short drive away.
Amidst the rolling countryside,
abundant with vineyards and olive groves ,
you'll find a few special dining spots,
worth driving a little way out of town for!

LA BEGUDE ST PIERRE

HOSTELLERIE LE CASTELLAS

LE TRACTEUR

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Uzès has a vibrant, ancient history, did you know that:

Uzès was first settled over one thousand years ago?

During Roman Times it was an important commercial and cultural center?

Duche d' Uzès

Uzès is the home to the first duchy of France and that it remains the oldest ducal peerage in France?

And that the family still live in the ducal castle in Uzès today?

During the reformationUzès became the fifth largest Huguenot city in France?

During the eighteenth and nineteen centuries Uzès became famous for making silk stockings?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Duchess of Uzès, Anne de Mortemart, widow of the famous Champagne House, Clicquot, was the first French woman to obtain a driver's licence? An early feminist, she founded the French Women's Automobile Club?

During World War II, Château des Fouzes, code named CADIX and two minutes outside of Uzès, was the secret base for a  small group of cryptologists sending messages back to Bletchley Park in England.

The group included three Poles, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, who were the first to crack the Enigma in 1932. They had given their intelligence to the French and the British at the onset of World War II, and continued their work, with the help of the local French Resistance,at great peril to their own safety from Château des Fouzes until November 1942 when fearing discovery by the Nazis they fled across the Pyrenees to Spain. An amazing, little known story of bravery and courage.

Let me know what you find out on your trip to this beautiful city!

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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 The fabulous Uzès market can be found every Wednesday and Saturday
by the arches of its magnificent central square, Place-aux-Herbes.
On Wednesdays in the Uzès market you'll find smiling locals offer mouthwatering, regional produce.
Cheeses, garlic, wine, flowers, lavender, olive oil, honey and soaps.
On a Saturday at the Uzès market the stalls tumble out onto the streets,
baskets, linens, jewelry and art, everything and more
that you would hope to discover in a marché-provencal!
Take a peek here, I think you'll see what I mean!

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès  and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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  At the the heart of the beautiful city of Uzès' lies the architecturally stunning, La Place-aux-Herbes.
La Place-aux-Herbes is a vast, cobbled square surrounded on three sides by golden, stone arches
whose domed canopy covers the patios of shops and restaurants.
Her central feature is a large stone fountain which sits quietly chuckling at all who pass her by.

La Place-aux-Herbes is overlooked by tall, shuttered buildings,
softly painted in gentle shades of blue grey and violet, so delightfully French,
Place-aux-Herbes is like a splendid setting for a party.
Whether hosting her twice weekly markets, festivals, brocantes or local artisanal sales

Place-aux-Herbes is a place to gather, a place to meet friends, a place you will want to be in this charming, medieval city of Uzès.

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Rue du Portalet, 30700 Uzes Tel : +33 (0)4 66 22 68 88
The Fenestrelle tower is Uzès' most famous landmark, adjacent to Saint-Théodorit Cathedral,
built at the end of the 11th century, this 'tower of windows'
is the only campanile tower in France.
A fairy-tale 'Rapunzel' tower
where can one imagine a handsome prince rescuing his beloved!

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If all you did whilst staying in Uzès, was to meander around the town,
explore its shops, sample its many restaurants,
and buy wine and cheese from the local markets,
you would have a wonderful week becoming part of the magical charm of Uzès.
But, there are some wonderful sites you should try to see too!

THE CHATEAU  ~ THE DUCHY D'UZES

SAINT THEODORIT CATHEDRAL

THE FENESTRELLE TOWER

THE MEDIEVAL GARDEN

PONT DU GARD

WINERIES

OLIVE OIL MILLS

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The enchanting medieval bastide city of Uzès,
just outside of Provence, in Languedoc Roussillon.
Come and wander its cobbled streets,
admire its gently worn, shuttered buildings.
Discover the Ducal château, its Medieval Garden and iconic Fenestrelle tower.
Sit under one of the golden arches fringing its magnificent square,
Place-aux-Herbes,
host to its weekly markets and festivals.
Listen to the soft splutters of the fountain,
become immersed in the beguiling atmosphere of this special place.
Watch the 'video glimpse' next
and discover why people who visit Uzès always return...

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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Where to dine in Uzès? Maybe under the golden arches in Place aux Herbes,
shaded by the broad sycamore branches in the square.
Enjoying 'feu de bois' pizzas on a cobbled streets or a pretty terrace.
Savouring French cuisine at its best in an elegant dining room or exquisite garden;
just a few of the places to dine in Uzès.
Here are some of our favorites, most require a reservation especially in the summer.
Let me know the places you discover to dine in Uzès and add to this list!

LES TERROIRS

LE ZANELLI

PIZZA DU DUCHE

MILLEZIME

BEC A VIN

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A man with hairy ears selling goats cheese, a nun blessing us with her wine!  Smiling locals selling linens, ribbons, baskets, and flowers,  cheese makers, olive growers, and an abundance of fresh produce. How can you not visit the Uzès fabulous, twice-weekly markets, the most vibrant in Provence!

Every Wednesday and Saturday, in the central square of Uzès, Place-aux-Herbes, ringed by its golden stone arches, colourful shuttered buildings and cheerfully chuckling fountain, plays host to fabulous marches.

Wednesday is mostly local produce, the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread, and flowers fill the air alongside carefully presented artisanal cheeses, sauscisson, honey, locally grown fruits and vegetables stalls of olives, more sizes and varities than you would ever believe possible

The Saturday markets colourful array of stalls completely fill the cobbles of Place-aux-Herbes and like a giant ball of twine, twist their way throughout the square and along the pavements of the surrounding streets, delighting shoppers with an abundance of olive oil, goats cheese, bread and honey, the fruits of the land intermingled with lavender, soaps, linens,

ribbons, scarfs, pottery, baskets and all that is expected to be found at a Provencal market.

Bring your baskets and get there early to do your rummaging them grab a spot for steaming coffee and freshly baked croissants. Check the local calendar, you might want to return the following day for on many Sundays Place aux Herbes also plays hosts to art & antique fares, exhibitions, carnivals, and every January an annual truffle fare.

If you have time for no other marché on your trip to Provence but the one in Uzès you will have been to the very best!!!

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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