The medieval and Renaissance quarter of Uzès is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, but it is dense enough to keep you occupied for most of a day. The lanes between the Place aux Herbes and the Duché are the oldest part: narrow streets of pale limestone, with doorways framing Renaissance courtyards and stone staircases rising to upper floors. Much of the street-level fabric dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, when Uzès was a prosperous silk and textile town with a thriving Protestant bourgeoisie — the Reformation took hold here early, and the town's wealth shaped its buildings.
The best approach is to simply walk without a map. Take any lane heading uphill from the Place aux Herbes and you will eventually reach the Esplanade at the top of the town, with its views south across the garrigue. On the way you will pass the Tour de l'Evêché, the old bishops' tower, and various hôtels particuliers — the townhouses of prosperous merchants — whose facades repay attention. The stone is warm, the scale is human, and in spring the sound of swifts overhead makes the whole thing feel as though the 21st century has been politely asked to wait outside the gates.