France · Occitania · Cities of art
the French Rome, between amphitheatre, temple and gardens above the spring
Nîmes holds together two centuries that lie far apart: the Roman one, which left it one of the best preserved amphitheatres in the world and an almost intact temple, and the present one, made of squares with tables outside, markets and bullfights. It is not a city for a flying visit: the centre is walked in an hour, but to see it properly you need two or three days. For anyone travelling by motorhome it is also the gateway to the Pont du Gard, a little over twenty kilometres away.
Sleeping
Two different things. The serviced area is outside town, at Remoulins next to the Pont du Gard; in town there is only a retail-park car park, without a single service, good for a short stop with the shopping in the middle.
14B Av. du Pont du Gard, 30210 Remoulins
a fully serviced area of the Camping-Car Park network, with fresh water and disposal for grey and black water. Nîmes is twenty kilometres away, about twenty minutes by road, and the Pont du Gard is right there: it works as a base for seeing the aqueduct and then going into the city for the day. Access is automated, as in every area of the network.
Rue André Dupont, Ville Active, 30900 Nîmes
it is not a serviced area but a level car park in the Ville Active retail district, and it is worth it for a short stop with the shopping in the middle: the Carrefour is a hundred and fifty metres away, the Nîmes Étoile shopping centre and the Lidl a couple of hundred. For a motorhome there is nothing, no filling, no emptying, no electricity: you park and that is all. The old town is a little over two kilometres away, about half an hour on foot; we took an Uber. About staying overnight we know nothing.
Getting around
Seeing
Two Roman monuments, a garden, a cathedral and a square all stand within a kilometre; the last point is outside the city and worth the detour. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.
Monument · 43.83487, 4.35944
the Roman amphitheatre of the first century AD, one of the largest and best preserved in the world: 133 metres long, 101 wide, room for about 24,000 spectators. It was used for shows until the Middle Ages, then turned into a fortress with a moat and ramparts, and recognised as a historic monument of France in 1840. Today you walk the corridors, the tiers and the underground levels, and in summer it still hosts concerts and bullfights. At sunset the light sets the travertine blocks alight.
Monument · 43.83816, 4.35611
a Roman temple of 5 BC dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus, among the best preserved in the world. Six Corinthian columns across the front and proportions that are close to perfect. Inside it houses a museum on the history of Nîmes and of Roman Gaul.
Park · free entry · 43.83975, 4.34958
created in 1665 around the sacred spring of Nemausus, the river god the city takes its name from. Inside are the central fountain, the remains of the Temple of Diana, ancient steps and tree lined avenues that climb gently. By day it is full of families in the shade of the plane trees, at sunset it empties. Entry is free, and it is the right break from the heat.
Church · 43.83832, 4.36020
built in 1096 and rebuilt after the Wars of Religion, it is not large but it has an intimate charm. Next to it stands the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, which gathers textiles, clothes and everyday objects from the end of the Middle Ages onwards.
Square · free entry · 43.83627, 4.35915
the square where the crocodile meets the palm, the symbol of the city, born on a commemorative Roman coin. Cafés and tables outside, and all around the grid of lanes and small squares of the old town.
Monument · 43.94746, 4.53504
it is not in Nîmes but at Remoulins, 22 km outside the city, and it is worth the detour. Three tiers of arches standing 50 metres above the river Gard, built in the first century AD to carry water from Uzès to Nîmes along 50 km of aqueduct. A UNESCO World Heritage site.
When
Next: Férias de Nîmes · 12-17 May
twice a year the city fills with bullfights, flamenco and music in the streets, and the Arena hosts the most important corridas. These are also the weeks when Nîmes is at its most crowded and prices go up.
the big summer nights inside the Arena, the Roman amphitheatre: mostly concerts, with a few evenings of dance and comedy. Programme at festivaldenimes.com and nimes.fr.
Remember
Nîmes · part two
and then?
What to taste, and where to go tomorrow.
The most typical dish, to cook again at home.
Looking
22 shots from our visit. Tap one to see it large.