Aiguèze, the village perched above the Ardèche gorges

Aiguèze occupies a spectacular position, perched on the cliffs overlooking the southern bank of the Ardèche gorges in the northeast of the Gard department. The fortress that still dominates the village dates from the 11th-12th centuries, built during conflicts between local barons and the count-bishops of Viviers. In 1384, during the Hundred Years' War, the village was largely destroyed — a garrison of 500 armed men was reduced to just nine households. Reconstruction stretched across the 15th and 16th centuries, with Renaissance elements still visible on many buildings today.

Protected monuments include the château (11th century), the Romanesque Church of Saint-Roch (also 11th century), the Pié de Mounié dolmen, listed in 1889, and a suspension bridge from 1905 linking the village to Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche on the opposite bank. Aiguèze joined the Plus Beaux Villages de France in 2005, the first commune in the Gard to receive the label. Its population, down to 212 in 2023 from a peak of 714 in 1821, is far smaller than the village's heritage might suggest. All around, the Ardèche Gorges National Nature Reserve, established in 1980, protects over 1,000 plant and animal species across nearly 1,950 hectares.

How to get there

The nearest station with genuine regular service is in Pont-Saint-Esprit, about 20 km away, reopened in 2022 after decades of closure and served by TER trains to Avignon-Centre and Nîmes-Centre. For international flights, Avignon or Nîmes-Alès-Camargue airports are the nearest regional options, both more than an hour's drive away. By car, Aiguèze is reached via the D901 or D290, which run alongside the gorges, with the suspension bridge providing direct access from Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche.