When in Nîmes, do as the Romans
The southern French city of Nîmes, on the border between the Provence and Languedoc regions, is famous for two things: Romans and denim. In the early nineteenth century this European city’s textile mills created denims, or de Nîmes – literally ‘from Nîmes’, for the slaves of southern USA. And, from a bit further back in time, the city boasts the most extensive and impressive Romans ruins in Europe outside of Italy. The well preserved and extensive Roman remains are not an accident of history. Nîmes’s obvious prosperity extends back to Roman times when it was a major stop on the Via Domitia, the main Roman road from Italy to Spain. But Nîmes is definitely not stuck in the past, the contemporary architecture of the city is designed by such greats as Sir Norman Foster, and like most French cities it has vibrant restaurant and café scene.
There are a number of interesting Nimes museums, and if during your stay there you will want to visit each one – head first to the Tourist office and get yourself a 3 day Forfait Museum Pass, which allows you a single entry into each of the main museums. One not to miss, if only to contrast with the abundant Roman architecture, is the Carrée d’Art; designed by Norman Foster this striking building aptly houses a collection of European and French contemporary art. Do not miss the roof-top café, which allows a wonderful view of the Maison Carrée; the amazingly preserved Roman temple built in 5 AD.
You will not miss Les Arènes, the first century Roman arena is still the focal point of the city. As far as Roman arenas go this one is in pretty good shape and well worth a visit. Once the stage for the typical Roman gladiatorial events, this arena now plays host to a more recent spectacle – the annual Nimes bullfighting feria, and has done so since the mid 1800s. Nîmes is well-known for its bullfighting fairs, and the most popular of these takes place over a five day period during the Whitsun weekend.
If these Nîmes attractions do not satisfy you, head out of the city to the Pont du Gard. Originally built as a aqueduct to bring water to Nîmes from Uzès, the 49 meter hight construction was built entirely without the use of mortar – all the more impressive when you consider that some of the stones weight up to 6 tons. The Pont is 49 m high, and the longest of the three level is 275 m long – the highest arches are 22 m high. Not surprisingly, today the Pont is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The photographs here are taken from Wolfgang Staudt’s photostream on flikr, where you can many more spectacular images of this truly great European city.
