Belvezet: Culture and Hiking

Belvezet offers two specific ways to shape a stay: cultural history and circular hikes. Castellas de Belvezet, the former Saint-André Church, and three routes of different lengths give you themes around which to plan your trip. For planning a hike, the time estimates range from two hours for the shortest route to five hours for Le Mas-de-l’Ancienne-Église. There are also separate starting points and different cultural or historical connections.

Culture in Belvezet

Castellas de Belvezet is a fortified castle whose main construction phases date from the 13th and 14th centuries. The keep and ruins are fully listed as historic monuments; the listing was made by decree on 3 August 1998. The dates have different roles: the 13th and 14th centuries refer to the main construction phases, while 1998 is the year of the decree listing the site. This allows the building’s history and heritage protection to be understood as two separate stages.

The former Saint-André Church in Belvézet has been restored and now serves as a cultural venue with an exhibition and meeting room. This offers a useful distinction for trip planning: Castellas focuses on its architectural history and heritage protection, while Saint-André is notable for its present-day cultural use.

Comparing the hikes

The Le Mas-de-l’Ancienne-Église hike is a 15.01 km circular route with 350 m of elevation gain and a duration of five hours. It is marked as a Petite Randonnée trail; an audio guide is available through the Latitude Gard smartphone app. The route follows paths once used by Camisard troops and passes hidden hamlets. It therefore combines a longer hike with historical connections and the hamlets along the way.

La Draille des Seynes – Route 1 is a 4.5 km circular route with a duration of two hours. It starts at the car park by the former washhouse at Mas de l’Ancienne Église in Belvézet. Artistic works along the route are paired with information about the ecosystem.

La Draille des Seynes – Route 2 covers 6 km, has 80 m of elevation gain, and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. It starts at Parking de l’Arbousier in Belvézet. This route also combines artistic works with information about the ecosystem.

For a direct comparison, Route 2 is 1.5 km and 30 minutes longer than Route 1; it also has 80 m of elevation gain. Both Draille routes combine art with information about the ecosystem. They have different starting points, so your journey there will depend on the route you choose.

Getting there and starting points

The Le Mas-de-l’Ancienne-Église hike starts and ends in Belvézet. For travel by road, the village is 15 km north of Uzès; the route follows the D 979 and D 218. The salle polyvalente on the D 218 is the recommended car park. Information about public liO transport is also available. The Draille routes have their own starting points: Route 1 starts at the car park by the former washhouse, and Route 2 at Parking de l’Arbousier. When choosing a route, you can consider its duration, length, and starting point together.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Jean-De-Crieulon, Saint-André-De-Roquepertuis, Saint-Nazaire, Fournes, Gallargues Le Montueux, Navacelles, Saint-Laurent-le-Minier, Aigaliers

For the broader travel overview: Gard.