The 10 most beautiful castles in Gard
10 châteaux
Chosen among 108 recorded castles
What to see in Gard when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-lès-Avignon)
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
On the Mont Andaon, facing Avignon across the Rhône, the fort Saint-André stretches its 750 metres of ramparts around the site of a former Benedictine abbey. The entrance gatehouse, flanked by twin towers topped with machicolations, still marks the way in today.
Adult €7Hours, prices and access
No. 2
Château de Pondres, Villevieille
Villevieille
The Château de Pondres stands in Villevieille, near Sommières, within a large wooded estate in the Gard department. Its medieval keep was incorporated in the 17th century into a larger U-shaped building flanked by square towers.
No. 3
Château de Portes (Portes Castle)
Portes
Château de Portes, in Portes (Gard), France. Location, access and practical information.
No. 4
Château de Beaucaire (Beaucaire Castle)
Beaucaire
Facing the château de Tarascon across the Rhône, the fortress of Beaucaire stands on a rocky spur above the town. Now in ruins but open to visitors, it retains a triangular keep of unusual design and a Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Louis. The restored main gate offers a wide view over the valley and the river.
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No. 5
Château of Arpaillargues
Arpaillargues-et-Aureillac
The château d'Arpaillargues stands at the edge of the village, a few kilometres west of Uzès in the Gard region. Built during the 17th and 18th centuries, the house long belonged to the d'Agoult family, whose best-known member is Marie de Flavigny, Countess d'Agoult and companion of Franz Liszt.
No. 6
Château de Gicon (Gicon Castle)
Chusclan
Perched on a rocky spur above the Rhône valley, the château de Gicon preserves the ruins of a medieval fortress built between the 12th and 13th centuries, on a site occupied since Celtic times. It is reached by a footpath climbing from the Gicon farm, passing the Sainte-Madeleine chapel.
No. 7
Château d'Uzès (Uzès Castle)
Uzès
The château d'Uzès, also called the Duché, overlooks the old town on a site occupied since Roman times. Visitors come for the Bermonde tower, a 42-metre keep dating from the 12th century, for the Renaissance façade of the seigneurial residence and for the flamboyant Gothic chapel with its glazed tile roof.
Adult €24Hours, prices and access
No. 8
Château de Lussan (Lussan Castle)
Lussan
Standing at the entrance to the upper town of Lussan, in the Gard department, this fortified château built at the end of the 15th century still shows the defensive character of its square plan flanked by four round towers.
No. 9
Castle of Sommières
Sommières
Standing on a rocky spur above the Vidourle river and the Roman Tibère bridge, Sommières castle bears the marks of several centuries of successive fortifications.
No. 10
Espeyran Castle
Saint-Gilles
In the town of Saint-Gilles, in the Gard department, Espeyran château sits at the heart of an estate shaped by the Sabatier family throughout the 19th century. The building follows a U-shaped plan around a courtyard closed off by a gate, with stables in the north wing and the main residence in the south wing.
Every castle in Gard (108)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Gard?
- The most visited in Gard is Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-lès-Avignon), first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 108 castles recorded in Gard, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.