Before setting off on your river cruise aboard your rental boat, don’t miss a visit to Bellegarde, one of the key wine-growing stops along the Rhône to Sète canal. Vines have been cultivated here since Greek and Roman times, thriving thanks to the region’s sunny, wind-swept climate and stony soils. The local white wine, Clairette de Bellegarde, is one of the oldest appellations in Languedoc. Also worth discovering: the olive oil mill, the Roman aqueduct of Bellegarde, the 12th-century Madone Tower, and the Chapel of Broussan.
Saint-Gilles rose to prominence as a pilgrimage site in the 11th century, centered around the cult of Saint Giles. It became the fourth most important pilgrimage destination in the Christian world, after Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela. Today, its magnificent abbey church,listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,is well worth a visit, along with the Romanesque House Museum.
In the heart of the Camargue, meet herds of free-roaming bulls and horses. Visit a local ranch to learn about the work of the “manadier” and his guardians.
At the heart of the Camargue Gardoise, near the Costières vineyards, Gallician offers access to the Scamandre Nature Reserve with boardwalk trails through the marshes.
Dock your boat beneath the majestic 13th-century ramparts of Aigues-Mortes, a fortified medieval town between land and sea. Stroll through its 1,640-meter-long walls with five towers, including the famous Constance Tower. Discover its religious heritage, taste a glass of “Vin de Sable” on a sunny terrace, or try the local fougasse bread. Nature lovers will be captivated by the pink waters of the Aigues-Mortes salt marshes.
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Close to the Nîmes Airport