Like many other weekends, we planned for an short trip. I love the South of France and have been to a lot of beautiful places here. And each place provided me with a nice surprise of its beauty. This time was not an exception.
Vallées-des-Gardons, which belongs to Cévennes region, is the ideal playground for lovers of hiking, outdoor activities, and swimming in the river! But we didn’t do any of the sportive activities due to the season, the weather and my state of health. We chose to visit two ancient little beautiful villages (Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard), the famous bamboo garden and Trabuc cave as well as have a famous Cévennes steam train ride. However, there was no service of the steam train for autumn and winter. For more information about the steam train ride, you can check it out here http://www.trainavapeur.com/#.
Between the charm Anduze and the preserved natural Saint-Jean-du-Gard, there are varied landscapes, unspoilt nature, crossed by the pure and lively waters of the Gardons, and remarkable sites, which invite us to discover and relax.
Anduze
Anduze is a small town with picturesque charm that has many assets! Whether for the richness of its heritage, the beauty of its landscape, its tourist sites, hiking trails, Anduze is a multifaceted place that seduces with its authenticity! In Anduze, the Clock tower, the Pagode fountain, the Protestant temple (one of the largest in France!), The straight street and its shops with colorful stalls, await you to appreciate the unique atmosphere that reigns in the heart from the city.
We discovered a very nice shop which called Terroir Cévennes. This store has been open for more than twenty years and welcomes under its roof the products of its farmers and also the creations of local artisans. In one place you can vary your pleasure, visit an exhibition and buy food and wine. You can discover products made from almonds, chestnuts, olives, plants while being seduced by a bowl, a teapot, a bag or a garment. The products are packed nicely so you can buy them as gifts. They also do wrapping them as presents if you request.
We also found La Truie qui Doute, a restaurant which showed up in a casual look but provided good food with a fair price. And be careful when your order because each dish comes in a big portion.
In Anduze, there are many things to do and see such as doing canyoning, going horse riding, climbing, doing a perfume adventure, visiting museums, wineries and vineyards,…
One of the most special things of Anduze is the Bamboo garden (Bambouseraie en Cévennes). This is an exotic garden located 2 km north of Anduze. It contains of Europe’s oldest bamboo collection, planted from 1856 by Eugene Mazel. It was divided into different areas where you could find a giant bamboo forest with different species of bamboos (about 200 different ones), a beautiful farmhouse, a Japanese garden, the Dragon valley, a Laotian village, a palm pathway, a flower garden and even a maze. Visit this place gave me some atmosphere of Asia in France indeed.
Another most special place in the area is Trabuc cave (La Grotte de Trabuc)
Trabuc which is the largest underground network in the Cevennes, located between Anduze and Saint-Jean du Gard. It was frequented at its natural entrance by the Huguenots at the time of the wars of religion, then by the Trabucaires, highwaymen who used it as a hiding place. It was in 1945 that was discovered the superior network nowadays arranged and easily accessible. by an artificial tunnel. When first enter the cave, I talked to myself “Oh God, how could I walk up back.” because the stairs down were so steep (around 100m deep). But what I saw in there gave me encouragement. They separated the cave into different areas which unveil organs and twisted draperies, jellyfish and crystallized butterflies, waterfalls and a huge turquoise lake. All of these, you can discover them from the shade to the light. It’s so interesting that you arrived in one dark place and pressed a button then the light turned on and showed you the shape created in that area with melodious music.
This cave is known as "The Cave of 100,000 Soldiers". At first we wondered why it had that name. But when we saw this, we really know why. This cave is an amazing place which you shouldn’t miss when you are around.
Saint-Jean-du-Gard
At the crossroads of the Borgne and French valleys, the village of Saint-Jean-du-Gard, well rooted in Cévenole history is worth a visit. With nearly 150 kilometers of marked trails, Saint-Jean-du-Gard gives a glimpse of the southern slopes of the Cévennes. On this southern territory, man has built the bancal area, water reservoirs and dry stone buildings,...a rich heritage to discover along the way. Alternating contrasting landscapes between chestnut trees, pine hills and wild scrubland, nature reveals unforgettable landscapes, as well as sublime views.
I haven’t seen such a cute train station like the one of Saint-Jean-du-Gard. There was also a restaurant at the train station and you could choose to be served in a train wagon. It’s special, isn’t it?
We went to the open air food market in Saint-Jean-du-Gard and flea market in Anduze. In this area, there are more different types of market in summer than in autumn. They have open air food market, indoor market, open air non-food market, night market and flea market. Wandering around these market is very interesting because you may be able to get something unique or with a special price.
We did love this area of Cévennes. You don’t need an exact place to go to see something nice. Just take the car and get lost, you can always find some beautiful little villages (Générargues, Mialet …) wonderful landscapes around you. That’s why we didn’t take the big road but a very small mountainous one instead to go back. Sometimes we thought maybe there was no road but actually there was and it provided very nice views indeed.
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