Blog Excursions around Montpellier Nîmes Arènes

Excursions around Montpellier: Nîmes

Between plain and scrubland, Provence and Languedoc, Nîmes, 2nd city of Languedoc Roussillon has a unique Roman heritage in France. It is particularly known for its bullfights and its numerous férias and it is also the birthplace of Daudet. In modern times it will become a protestant safety place. Discover the city at the time of the Roman festival in early May or at the time of the féria in June or September.

Be careful,

This program is subject to last minute changes.

PROGRAM

Nîmes, ancient city of rich Romans has preserved its ancient monuments. Proof that the city was very flourishing 2000 years ago, the Nîmois had an aqueduct built to transport water to the city's ancient thermal baths. We will start our visit with the Gardens of the Fountain, an ancient Roman necropolis built around the Nemausus spring and then continue with a visit to the Temple of Diana. Passing in front of the ancient great Roman temple: the Square House, so named in the 16th century in reference to its geometrical shape with four right angles. Visit the Arena, a former Roman amphitheater, known for its gladiator and bull shows. More than 20,000 spectators attended the shows in the bullring, which today are among the best preserved in the Roman world. Depending on their social rank, visitors were distributed in the ancient Roman amphitheater, but thanks to the tiered construction, the arena at the bottom was perfectly visible from every square.

Visit of the Romanesque cathedral St. Castor. The foundations of this 11th century Romanesque church are here enriched by neo-gothic elements from the 17th century and also marked by the renovation of the church in the 19th century.

However, Nîmes is not only known for its ancient monuments, but it is also the origin of the manufacture of a product that is indispensable today: jeans, or denim. A center of textile trade and production in the 17th century, denim, a strong and resistant fabric, was therefore produced in Nîmes before being exported to California by the German fabric merchant Levi Strauss.

Finally, do not forget to touch during the visit the nose of the symbolic animal of Nîmes which is at the fountain of the crocodile and which will bring you happiness according to what the legend tells us. Free time in the city. Cookies of the region offered.