Explore Saint-Jean-du-Gard

Discover the Cévennes region

Discover the Cévennes region

Located in the heart of the Cévennes, Saint-Jean-du-Gard is known for its preserved landscapes, outdoor activities, and authentic southern French atmosphere. Visitors can explore nature, discover local heritage, and enjoy peaceful moments surrounded by mountains and forests.
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Historic stone bridge spanning river with forested mountains at Domaine de Cabrières, St Jean Du Gard

Saint Jean du Gard

The town, which has 2,500 year-round residents, can swell to 10,000 in the summer. It's therefore no surprise to find a cinema, a library, a supermarket, a gas station, several garages , a laundromat, grocery stores (organic or gourmet), three bakeries, butchers, tobacconists, a pharmacy, a health center (doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, etc.), a tourist office, and a whole host of local shops that make life here pleasant in all four seasons, such as a wine shop, bookstores, a computer store, a DIY store, antique shops and booksellers, art galleries, and artists' studios. You'll also find around twenty cafes/restaurants, a list of which can be found here.
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The main market is held every Tuesday morning throughout the year, and during the summer season it's a must-see. There's also a craft market on Thursday evenings in July and August, and a farmers' market on Saturday mornings from April to October. A weekly flea market takes place every Friday morning during the summer.

Several highlights take place annually, including the incredible Boulégan Festival over Easter weekend! An international festival of instrument making, traditional music, and dance. The town also hosts the Abarines and Col St Pierre hill climb races in the spring.

In the spring, the FIRA, the Festival of Itineraries, Hiking and Nature Activities, is held. The town hall organizes an annual spring fair and an autumn fair bringing together around a hundred local artisans and producers, as well as festivities for July 14th, free concerts and shows once a week in the market square, and also the village festival on the first weekend of August. 
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Modern stone building with vineyard at Domaine de Cabrières, a French B&B in Saint-Jean-du-Gard

Museum of the Cévennes Valleys/Red House

If you want to learn more about traditional life in the Cévennes region, if you like the history of ordinary people and scenes from a daily life that is almost completely gone, the Maison Rouge museum is for you.

All useful information can be found on their website.
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Serene bamboo forest pathway at Domaine de Cabrières B&B in St Jean Du Gard, France

The little train and the Bamboo Garden of Anduze

The Bamboo Garden of Anduze is a must-see, bringing renown to the region worldwide. All useful information can be found on their website.
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Colorful vintage railway carriages at Domaine de Cabrières B&B in St Jean Du Gard, France

And to get there, the legendary little steam train of the Cévennes...

Accessible on foot from the castle, spend a day in a timeless setting. Reduced price if you buy tickets for the Steam Train and the Bamboo Garden on the same day.

Tickets and useful information here
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Stunning cave formations with stalactites and stalagmites illuminated in warm tones at Domaine de Cabrières, St Jean Du Gard

The Trabuc cave

If there are experiences that words cannot describe, the Trabuc cave is one of them...

Check out their website here...
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Topographic map of St Jean du Gard area showing Domaine de Cabrières location in French countryside

And let's not forget hiking...

Several long-distance hiking trails (GR) pass near Saint-Jean-du-Gard, including:

GR 6: The GR 6 long-distance hiking trail is one of the longest hiking routes in France. It starts in Arcachon in the Gironde department and ends in Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, covering 1367km. It connects Aquitaine to the French Alps, passing through the southern Massif Central and the southern Cévennes mountains.


GR 61: This is a relatively short long-distance hiking trail (approximately 35 kilometers). However, it reveals a wide variety of landscapes, stretching from Anduze to the Col de Lasclier, passing through Mialet and Saint Jean (it runs below the Domaine) . The scenery changes as you progress between the Gard and the Cévennes. Cultivated fields, vineyards, and garrigue give way to more impressive mountains, steep foothills, and magnificent gorges.


GR 67: The GR 67 long-distance hiking trail, also known as the Tour du Pays cévenol, goes around the Cévennes valleys via the ridges and trails over 135 km, starting from Anduze and going up to Barre des Cévennes, before going back down towards Lasalle.


GR 70: The famous Stevenson Trail , name given to the long-distance hiking trail 70 , in reference to the journey undertaken through the Cévennes , accompanied by a donkey , by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson in the autumn of 1878. It starts from Monastier-sur-Gazeille in Haute Loire and covers 270km passing through Lozère and ending its route in Saint Jean du Gard.


These trails are well-marked and offer a wonderful opportunity to discover the natural and architectural heritage of the Cévennes. Make sure you are properly equipped and consult hiking maps to ensure you have the best possible experience , as the region can be arid and rugged at times.

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Crystal-clear emerald river with smooth boulders at Domaine de Cabrières, St Jean Du Gard

...and the swimming spots.

The region is renowned for the number and quality of its swimming spots. But here, water is practically sacred, so the best swimming spots are like mushroom hunting grounds—they're closely guarded secrets... If you're really nice, maybe we can vaguely point you in the right direction...

And again...
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