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When you arrive to the small town at the feet of Dentelles de Montmirail you will end up at the central square that is the centre of everything here. Most tourists who visit the town only see the small road leading to the square and after finding a parking place they spend some time at the square and visit the wine shops, Caveau du Gigondas and mayby the tourist office or the restaurant. Everything is here. 
If you need some exercise you can take a walk up through the narrow streets to the church at the top of the town and you will have a beautiful view to the vineyards and the roofs of the sleepy town.

Gigondas commune has 590 inh. (2004) and a total area of 2714 ha by which about 1200 ha are planted with vines.
A great part of the area of the commune is woodland on the slopes of Dentelles de Montmirail.
The vineyards are situated up to an altitude of more than 400m. The highest point in the commune is Saint-Amand - altitude 730 m.

A bit of history
The town has existed at least since Roman time. The first wineries are supposed to have been created by the veterans of the second Roman Legion and several remains from that time has been found in the soil of Gigondas. The Latin name of the town was Jocundatis known from historic sources since 951. The name means something like a pleasent place.
Gigondas was for centuries part of the Pricipauté d'Orange until Ludvig XIV in 1672 defeated the Dutch principality (Orange-Nassau) and made the area a part of France.

Buying wines
As most people in Gigondas make their living from wines most of the tourists visiting the town arrive to taste and buy the wines. 
In Gigondas you have an opportunity to taste wines not seen in many wine towns around the world. At the central square you find Caveau du Gigondas. Here nearly all private producers are represented and you can taste the wines without payment.
You can also visit most of the producers. On some of the sites on this website you will find maps showing how to find them. If you will be sure to meet the producer himself it will be best to make an appointment. They do not always have the time to be in the tasting rooms especially in periods that demand their presence in the vineyards or the cellar.
At the sites about most producers you will find a map showing how to find them.
You can also see a two big maps, Map of Gigondas - the country side  and Map of Gigondas - the village

Hiking in Dentelles de Montmirail
The Dentelles attract many people interested in hiking or climbing. You will find several marked routes. Some of them are "family friendly" and some more daring demanding a certain degree of courage.
By any routes to the north from Gigondas will meet the Dentelles, but if you choose the route to Les Florets (the hotel) and further up, you will find a parking place from where you can choose a hiking route. The tourist office has some maps.
You can also reach the Dentelles for the South. Then you must come from the road between Beaumes de Venise and Suzette (D90) and turn to the left. Some choose to start the hiking/climbing from Domaine Cassan situated high above D90. 
La Carte de Randonnée 3040ET (1:25.000) (See segment of the map here) (4 MB) can maybe be useful.

Dining
You can find 3 places in Gigondas where you can enjoy lunch or dinner:
At the small route leading to the square (Rue Principale) you will find Café de la Poste. It's a good choise for an ecxellent and not too expensive lunch.
At the central square you find Restaurant l'Oustalet, since 2009 owned by Perrin & Fils - Chateau de Beaucastel.
A couple of kilometres outside the town you find Les Florets (You can't miss the sign when you drive to Gigondas).
This restaurant has a wonderful terrace with a beautiful view to Dentelles and the vineyards. The food is first class and by the way the place is owned by wine growers: Pierre and Maxime Bernard from Domaine la Garrigue. You can see examples of the menus (August 2005) here.

Tourist office
The opening hours at the office vary through the year:
January - March and November - December: Monday - Saturday 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-17.00.
April - June and September - October: Monday - Saturday 10.00-12.30 and 14.30-18.00.
July - August: Monday - Saturday 10.00-12.30 and 14.30-18.30. Sundays 10.00-13.00

Links
Gigondas Commune - Provence web - Provence Beyond - Photoserie from Dentelles de Montmirail
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