Le Vieux Castillon – 4*

REGION : Occitanie
ATMOSPHERE : Sky and sun
STYLE : Perched elegance
CATEGORY : 4*
ROOMS : 34 rooms and suites

Reach for the Occitanie sky

Suspended above the Gardon valley, Castillon-du-Gard was once the residence of the bishop of Uzès. Raided during the religious wars but superbly preserved, today, it is a typical, picturesque village in Provence’s Gard region. History and archaeology enthusiasts love the charm of its narrow streets, traditional fortifications, sculpted gargoyles ,and its view of the Pont du Gard. Only 6 minutes away by popemobile!

THE AREA IS FRAMED BY THE MONT VENTOUX AND THE RHÔNE, the strong light of the southern sun, its soft slowness, fields of heath, processions of cherry trees, fields of vines and the song of cicadas. A postcard setting at the crossroads of Avignon, Nîmes and Uzès, which, in its dry stone heart, hides one of the H8 hotel group’s most fabulous addresses: Le Vieux Castillon.

AN UNOBSTRUCTED AND WONDERFULLY PRESERVED EAGLE’S NEST, the 4* hotel is composed of a group of 18 medieval buildings joined together in a tangle of paved courtyards, hidden staircases, footbridges, and terraces amid olive and cypress trees. 34 bright, whitewashed rooms, almost monastic in their stone, linen, wicker or blond rattan dressings, are scattered about the grounds. The whole, arranged by decorator Natalia Megret, evokes a soothing southern France and invites guests to revel in laziness.

WHY NOT DO SO BY THE POOL WITH A VIEW OF THE ALPS? Or at the spa, temple of well-being by L’Occitane where you can enjoy its divine rituals. And don’t lose time at confession when you can linger on the secret patio to find some shade amid bohemian colors.

PROLONG YOUR COMMUNION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT by putting on headphones at the Paradiso cinema, the name given to the open-air film projections offered several times a week by the hotel. Finally, give into gourmet temptation at the Table du Castillon restaurant. There, chef Sullivan Le Ternuec works in two phases, offering chic snacking plates at lunchtime (roasted lobster, truffled croque-monsieur…) and a gastronomic menu in the evening (vegetarian or traditional menu in 3, 4 or 6 courses).

To do

SWIMMING-POOL – Lay in the sun around the pool
SPA – Relax with a cherry blossom massage and aromachological effervescent sugar foot bath at the spa
GASTRONOMY – Savor Sullivan Le Ternuec’s gourmet and Mediterranean cuisine
TERRACE – Read on the patio

The surrounding area

• Stroll through the medieval village of Castillon-du-Gard to discover its cobbled streets, ruins, and Romanesque chapels (Saint-Christophe, 13th century and Saint-Caprais, 12th century)
• Visit Pont du Gard, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and classified as a “Grand Site de France” while also taking in its green atmosphere made up of heath, forests, and caves
• Hikes and walks, including the “Mémoires de garrigue” trail, with a few kilometers on the GR63 for the most courageous
• Swim in the Gardon river
• Nîmes (the arena, the Maison Carrée, the féria, the Carré d’Art, the musée de la Romanité, the Halles, the tour Magne…)
• Avignon (Palace of the Popes, historical city center, Place Pie, theater festival, Notre-Dame des Doms cathedral, Lambert collection, the bridge from the French nursery rhyme…)
• Uzès (King’s Tower, medieval garden, Haribo museum, Place aux Herbes where the largest market in Occitanie is held, and nature walks in the Eure valley)