Don’t Miss These Best Things to Do in Nimes, France

Visiting the south of France is always a good idea, right? That was my thinking anyway, upon finding a cheap flight to the city of Nimes before my first visit. While I wasn’t familiar with the city, it soon became one of my favourite places to go in the region, surpassing other well-known cities like Marseille and Avignon. The chance to do a day trip to the mighty Pont du Gard didn’t hurt either.

There’s a lot to like about visiting Nimes. It’s light on tourists, and for a moderate-sized city, it’s big on history and attractions. Even just 24 hours in Nimes is enough to see why it’s so worth visiting. Not that I’d recommend only staying one night, as there are enough things to do in Nimes to keep you entertained, and you can always use day trips to explore more of the South of France beyond the sights of Nimes. Now, discover this beautiful French city for yourself.

Getting to Nimes

Travellers have a lot of options for how they decide to get to Nimes.

Firstly, there’s the city’s small airport with Ryanair connections from Brussels Charleroi and several other cities. That’s likely of little use to most people, though. If you do fly in, there’s a shuttle service from the airport to Nimes bus station, whose timetable matches flight arrivals and departures.

A more likely way to reach Nimes is by train. There are regular train connections with nearby major destinations like Avignon, Marseille, and Montpellier.

You can also get to Nimes from more local destinations by bus, such as Pont du Gard and Arles.

Visiting with a guided tour is another approach, with most tours leaving from Avignon. But don’t expect a lot of time spent exploring the city.

Of course, you can always just hire a car and freely drive around the countryside of the south of France on your own. I know I would have seen a lot more of the region with one.

Where to stay in Nimes

Part of what made me return to Nimes was the great Airbnb experience I had there, staying in a spare room of a friendly couple’s apartment. I understand people’s concerns with Airbnb, but I believe staying with locals like this is much more sustainable, and it adds to the experience.

Otherwise, you’ll find Nimes has lots of accommodation options available in and around the city centre. Some highly-rated local options include:

• Margaret – Hôtel Chouleur
• Appart’City Collection Nîmes Arènes
• Square Hotel
• Appart’hôtel Odalys City – Nîmes Arènes
• Maison Albar Hotels L’Imperator

Things to do in Nimes

While working out the logistics of your Nimes visit is important, working out what to do there is more interesting. While you can just rely on a local walking tour to explore a bit, it’s useful to know which things to do in Nimes they miss out on.

Look below to see what I think are the main attractions in Nimes, overlooking a few museums, such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes and Carré d’Art, that I didn’t go to.

1. Nîmes Arena

Without question, Nimes’ main attraction is its immense Arena. Similar in look to Rome’s Colosseum and Pula’s Arena, this massive Roman amphitheatre stands out among the rest of the city. Built in 70 AD, the amphitheatre was symbolic of Nimes’ importance and size then, when it was known as Nemausus.

So great is Nimes’ Roman heritage and preserved connection to the era, that the city is often auspiciously dubbed “The French Rome“. No small honour that!

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Arena was re-purposed a number of times, housing a palace and later an entire community within its 21m-high walls. Since the 19th century, it has served as the local bullring, capable of hosting up to 24,000 spectators.

Today, it also regularly hosts concerts, which I can only imagine have a pretty special atmosphere. Tickets can be bought separately online here or included in the 13€ “Nîmes romaine” pass.

2. La Tour Magne

Among the other impressive Roman remains is La Tour Magne. In English as the “Great Tower” this tower is the last remnant of the Roman city walls built under Augustus Caesar. Situated on Mont Cavalier, this 18m-high stone tower was one of 14 towers built in 15 BC to defend the increasingly important Roman city.

Somehow, the Tour Magne has managed to survive the test of time, despite still being in use during the Hundred Years’ War. Another example of the Romans building things to last.

The tower was almost destroyed though, by a Nostradamus prophecy of all things! The prophecy hinted at treasures beneath one of the city’s ancient buildings and local Francois Traucat, believed it to be the tower. With permission, he stripped the tower’s interior and destroyed the original sections of the tower’s foundation. Worst of all, he never found anything, despite all the damage done.

From the top of the tower, you’re treated to views right across Nimes, including places like the Arena and other city landmarks. The tower’s view also makes you appreciate just how flat the countryside beyond the city limits is. Entry to the tower costs 3.5€ but is included in the “Nîmes romaine” pass as well.

3. Les Jardins de la Fontaine

Flowing down the slope of Mont Cavalier back into the city is the almost palatial Les Jardins de la Fontaine. This grand park features monumental staircases, elegant gardens, and exquisitely carved statues. Built in the 18th century at the request of King Louis XV, the formal gardens range from parkland on the hillside to canals below.

They’re a particularly scenic place to stroll about or get off your feet for a bit. If you’re visiting Nimes on a weekend, expect there to be plenty of locals about. You might even see people playing petanque, a French variant of boules.

4. Temple of Diana

Off to the side in the Les Jardins de la Fontaine, you’ll find the open-air ruins of the Temple of Diana. What’s interesting is that despite its name, it likely wasn’t a temple nor devoted to Diana, goddess of the hunt. As part of a larger sanctuary, the remains here were likely those of a library. Still, the ruins make for a nice attraction that you’re able to freely explore and admire up close.

5. Quai de la Fontaine

As Nimes is an inland city, the closest that you’re going to get to the water is the Quai de la Fontaine. This canal that passes between noble old houses, flows from the spring below Les Jardins de la Fontaine that actually gave the city its name. The waterways were heavily expanded in 1740 with the building of the wide canals, in order to collect more of the spring water. There’s a real sense of grandeur to the canal as you walk along its gentle cascades and fountains.

6. Maison Carrée

One look at the Maison Carrée Roman temple of Nimes is sure to impress you, and maybe also surprise you by its sudden appearance. The third of Nimes’ trinity of Roman monuments, the Romans built this temple around the year 2 AD, and historians often say it’s one of the best-preserved Roman temples in existence. The reason we can enjoy it today is that people regularly used the temple for one function or another over the course of its life.

A lot of restoration work has gone into the building, including in the late 2000s. The city now uses the temple’s windowless interior as a cinema of sorts to show a film on the history of Nîmes. Entrance to the Maison Carrée costs 6€ but is also included in the “Nîmes romaine” pass.

7. Nimes Old Town

The centre of Nîmes is unsurprisingly where you find the city’s old town and its loveable mess of pedestrian streets and side alleys.

Every once in a while, you spy a grand old building, but for the most part, the old town oozes nonchalance in an utterly endearing way. Squares break things up here and there, like the Place du Marché with its crocodile fountain or the cascading pools of Place du Chapitre. There’s also the Tour de l’Horloge, the city clock tower, for you to see.

Regarding the several images and mentions of crocodiles around Nimes, this relates to the city’s coat of arms. Featuring a crocodile beneath a palm tree, the symbol traces back to bronze coins minted in the region during the Roman conquest of Egypt. So don’t stress, there aren’t crocodiles in Nîmes!

8. Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle

On arrival from the bus station or train station, the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle is likely the first place that’s going to draw your attention. A grand old boulevard that opens to a wide square, it is the fountains and greenery border that lend this park a welcoming presence.

It doesn’t hurt that grand neoclassical architecture surrounds the square, including the beautiful Église Sainte Perpétue church seen above. Barely removed from the square is a touching memorial commemorating the end of World War I.

Day trip to Pont du Gard

As nice as Nimes is, it’s not the only place to visit in this part of France. There are lots of gorgeous and fascinating destinations in Occitanie and Provence you can explore, but one of the easiest to reach from Nimes is Pont du Gard.

This ancient Roman aqueduct is just incredible, not only because of how it looks and that it’s still standing, but also for the surrounding scenery. I can’t see how you would regret doing a day trip to Pont du Gard from Nimes.

All it takes to get there from Nimes is a 1-hour bus ride, and the return bus fare is only 3€. You do have to pay for entry, but still, it’s nothing for what you get to see. You can find more on doing a day trip in this Pont du Gard guide.

Would you be interested in seeing the sights of Nimes France? Have you been elsewhere in the South of France? Please share your thoughts in the comments below

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