St Jean du Gard si a village of Gard department in the Occitanie region. It has long been considered the jewel of the Cévennes mountain area. The area has been lived on for over a thousand years but the earliest historical evidence confirming inhabitants in the area dates from the 12th century in the form of a Benedictine monastery built by the monks during this period. The commune was profoundly affected by Protestantism in the 16th century and was later involved in the first civil revolution after the edict of Nantes in 1683 abolished Protestant institutions in everyday life. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the greatest prosperity for the commune and today are the reason why the commune is a major tourist destination.
Access
Saint Jean du Gard is located 60 km from Nimes which has a train station and an airport and is 85km from Montpellier which has both an airport and a train station.
Activities
Being the tourist hotspot that it is, Saint Jean du Gard caters for all possible needs’ and tastes’. There is the aquarium which holds over 8000 types of fish. “Le Moulin des Olivettes” which produced olive oil throughout the 1950s, a steam train that has been in operation for 15 years and which carries up to 150,000 passengers each year doing a tour of the glorious scenery and finally, there is a museum dedicated to the culture of the surrounding countryside “La Musée des Vallées Cévanoles”. There are over 150km of footpaths to enjoy and explore in the immediate area.
Sights
There are an abundance of sights in the commune including:
- The clock tower, which was built in the 12th century.
Chateaux at Cabrieres (17th century), Marcassargues (16th century) and Sueilhes (13th century). - The 17th century church, built with the stones used for the Protestant Temple (this was torn down by order of the King after the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1683).
Food and Drink
There are markets held all year round in Saint Jean du Gard. There is a general market held every Tuesday, a farmer’s market selling local produce from Easter through to Halloween on Saturdays’ and a flea market each Monday from the 8th June – 28th September.
Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property in Gard. We have a large network of agents in Languedoc Roussillon. All of them are registered French estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Saint Jean du Gard matching your requirements. Do not hesitate to contact us to find out more about our selection of properties for sale in Saint Jean du Gard.