Nîmes

Nîmes is a city with a population of around 137,000 in the département of Gard in the south of France. It has a stunning Roman temple whose pristine condition is unmatched by any extant ones in Rome. There are a few other fine Roman relics and Diana's Palace.

By bus
Edgard operates buses to Nîmes from Arles (route C30) and the Pont du Gard (route C21). A one-way ticket costs €1.50 per person.

By car
You can access Nîmes via Autoroute A9, which runs from the Spanish border, and the Spanish motorway AP-7, in the south, and Orange and the A7 Autoroute in the north, or the A54, which connects Nîmes to Salon-de-Provence in the south-east.

Get around
The main sights are all within comfortable walking distance of each other.

See
The three main Roman sites in Nîmes are the Maison Carrée, Magne Tower and the famous Amphitheatre. A combined ticket can be purchased for all three for €12 (€10 for children (7-17) or students), only €2 more than the single entry for the Amphitheatre. There is also a combined ticket which includes the Roman Theatre of nearby Orange. Other key sites include the Temple of Diane and the Nîmes Cathedral, both of which are free.



Eat
The local speciality is the "brandade", chopped cod mixed with mashed potatoes, milk, garlic and olive oil. It can be tasted in many restaurants. You can also try the "Gardiane de taureau", a ragout with bull meat and vegetables. As an appetizer, have toasted bread with "Tapenade", an olive puree made with olives, olive oil and garlic.

Drink
Late night bars along Ave Victor Hugo. Lulu is a popular gay bar at 10 Rue Curaterie, open Tu-Sa from 23:00.

Sleep
A beautiful and expensive hotel is The Imperator.

All located in the retail park Parc Hotelier Ville Active, about 30 minutes' walk from the town centre (and over the main road from Carrefour hypermarket):

Go next

 * Marseille
 * Avignon