With a fascinating religious past of its own, Saint-Gilles-du-Gard is also the perfect place to stay as a gateway to the Camargue.

Stretching north from the mediterranean towards the Parc National des Cévennes, the department of Gard is home to the city of Nîmes with its world-famous Roman ruins including the Arena and both the UNESCO heritage Maison Carrée and Pont du Gard.

Gard’s second largest town, often overlooked by visitors in favour of Nîmes is the fascinating Saint-Gilles, or Saint-Gilles-du-Gard to give it its full name. Sitting alongside the Rhône-Sète Canal, it’s just a short distance from the wild marshlands of the Camargue and a fascinating place to spend a short break. Visit the tourist office on the Place de la République and the website www.nimes-tourisme.com or www.saint-gilles.fr (French only)

Day 1 

MORNING

Amble around the bustling town, maybe grabbing a pastry from the boulangerie-pâtisserie Sasu l’épi d’or before making for the winding narrow streets of the old town via the portcullis protected entry portal. Lined with tall medieval buildings, it’s virtually impossible to get lost here, since all streets essentially lead to the unmissable Romanesque Abbey-Church (église-abbatiale) of Saint-Gilles, dominating the Place de la République. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998, the church developed around the Benedictine monastery purported to have been established here by the hermit Saint-Gilles in the 7th century. Housing the saint’s remains, the Abbey became an important pilgrimage site on the Chemin de St Jacques – the scallop shell road markers are visible throughout the town. The building is a Romanesque masterpiece, with three monumental arched doorways and a famed spiral staircase of cantilevered steps but was badly damaged in the French Wars of Religion during which the abbey was used as a fortified hideout by beleaguered protestants. The shrine that houses the saint’s remains is in the abbey’s crypt.

AFTERNOON 

Enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the town’s numerous eateries. The inexpensive La Restanque which sits on the banks of the Rhône-Sète Canal does a busy trade with both locals and those travelling by boat along this popular route that travels all the way to Sète and beyond. Just a short distance out of town on the Chemin des Cassagnes is the Château d’Or et de Gueules. This Costières de Nîmes estate offers walking tours of the vineyards as well as cellar tours and extensive tastings (Monday – Saturday). There are several accommodation options on site for those wishing to stay overnight. 

EVENING  

Le Jardin Secret lives up to its name with a cosy courtyard garden, a menu of fresh and tasty local dishes and a plentiful wine list to match, featuring numerous Costières de Nîmes wines.

Day 2 

MORNING 

Sundays (and Thursdays) are market day in Saint-Gilles-du-Gard. Sacks of fresh lavender flowers give off their characteristic aroma, vying with the scents of whole chickens cooking slowly on mobile rôtisseries, freshly prepared hot meals to take away and ripe and picante goats cheeses. The produce of this bountiful area stretches as far as the eye can see along Avenue Emile Cazelles, stalls groaning with local olives and oil, charcuterie, fresh meat and fish as well as vividly coloured fruits and vegetables. Saint-Gilles is particularly famous for its apricots and peaches, which are celebrated in a local festival – the Feria de la Pêche et de l’Abricot in the middle of august that also includes fast-paced demonstrations of Camargue horsemanship and bullfighting.

While you’re perusing the market, keep your eyes peeled for a round, flat Fougasse St-Gilloise. They may look unassuming but these light, fluffy sweet breads flavoured with orange flower water are delicious and are only found here in Saint-Gilles and in nearby Aigues-Mortes. Grab something tasty for lunch from the market and enjoy the atmosphere.

AFTERNOON 

After lunch, make for the Musée de la Maison Romane. This museum is located in the 12th-century building in which Guy Foulques, who went on to become Pope Clément IV was born. The building itself is known as the best-preserved Romanesque house in Saint-Gilles with a remarkable façade and a top floor that features a 14th-century polychrome stone statue of the saint himself. The museum which was created in 1862 is home to a substantial collection of stuffed birds donated to the town by François Roussillon and functions as a museum of natural history, archeology and regional ethnology.  

EVENING 

Restaurant options are somewhat thin on the ground on a Sunday evening in Saint-Gilles but the Restaurant de l’Hôtel le Cours is a good option, serving up well-priced local specialities such as Gardianne de Taureau and Camargue rice dishes in a central location. La Restanque is also open on sunday evenings.

If you have more time, the wild wetland nature reserves of the Camargue are within easy reach, as are the historical sights of Arles, Nîmes and Aigues-Mortes. Opportunities for vineyard tours and wine tastings are numerous in the immediate area of Saint-Gilles, the terroir of the Costières de Nîmes. Saint-Gilles is an excellent spot from which to explore the wider Camargue area.

Selected accommodation

www.hotel-le-cours.com (3* hotel/restaurant) 

www.chateau-or-et-gueules.com (wine estate with several gîtes)