It’s more than 160 years since the first shoots of this rambling, mature bamboo grove were planted by a spice merchant returning from the tropics. Here in Générargues, 12km southwest of Alès, 150 bamboo species as well as oak and maple trees sprout amid aquatic gardens, a Laotian village and a Japanese garden. The Cévennes steam train, Train à Vapeur des Cévennes, stops here.
Bambouseraie de Prafrance
Languedoc-Roussillon
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.06 MILES
The extraordinary three-tiered Pont du Gard was once part of a 50km-long system of channels built around 19 BC to transport water from Uzès to Nîmes. The…
25.11 MILES
Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial…
22.36 MILES
This fortified château belonged to the House of Crussol, who were the dukes of Uzès for over 1000 years until the French Revolution. The building is a…
20.03 MILES
Looming 37km south of Florac off the D18 is the prominent peak of Mont Aigoual (1567m). Its lofty 1894-opened observatory is the last remaining mountain…
25.15 MILES
Opened in mid-2018, this futuristic steel-and-glass structure faces Les Arènes right in the heart of the city. Within, the ambitious archaeological museum…
22.48 MILES
Built in 1090 on the site of a Roman temple, Uzès' cathedral was partially destroyed in both the 13th and 16th centuries and stripped during the French…
24.56 MILES
Roman remains in these elegant gardens include the 30m-high Tour Magne, raised around 15 BC – the largest of a chain of towers conveying imperial power…
24.83 MILES
Constructed in gleaming limestone around AD 5, this temple was built to honour Emperor Augustus’ two adopted sons. Despite the name, the Maison Carrée …
Nearby Languedoc-Roussillon attractions
1.89 MILES
In the village of Le Mas Soubeyran (17km west of Alès), this intriguing museum traces the history of the Camisard revolt, a bloody religious struggle that…
13.26 MILES
Delving into ‘the astonishing, exciting world of the snail’, this working snail farm 12km north of Alès has a simple museum devoted to the slimy creatures…
20.03 MILES
Looming 37km south of Florac off the D18 is the prominent peak of Mont Aigoual (1567m). Its lofty 1894-opened observatory is the last remaining mountain…
22.36 MILES
This fortified château belonged to the House of Crussol, who were the dukes of Uzès for over 1000 years until the French Revolution. The building is a…
22.4 MILES
This delightful garden contains a wealth of plants and flowers that served a variety of purposes for their medieval planters: medicinal, nutritional and…
22.48 MILES
Built in 1090 on the site of a Roman temple, Uzès' cathedral was partially destroyed in both the 13th and 16th centuries and stripped during the French…
22.88 MILES
Uzès’ history as a confectionery centre lives on at this Wonka-esque museum, which explores the sweets-making process from the early 20th century through…
24.56 MILES
Roman remains in these elegant gardens include the 30m-high Tour Magne, raised around 15 BC – the largest of a chain of towers conveying imperial power…