[FRANCE] A Simple Guide to Nimes

18:40 Travel Bunny 0 Comments



Nimes, a city in the southern France, was once a regional capital of Ancient Rome. Today it still has some impressive Roman monuments such as the Arena of Nimes (amphitheater) and Maison Carree.  Since it is located not too far away from Avignon (about 45km) where I stayed, I decided to join a half day tour to see the city of Nimes, Uzes and Pont du Gard.

I waited for my tour guide of the half day tour at Avignon City Hall. The tour started around 9am.

My first stop in Nimes is Jardins de la Fontaine. Before entering the Jardins, you can see the embankment of the spring that provided water for the city.



It is a beautiful garden with many water features, sculptures and some Roman remains such as Temple of Diana and Tour Magne. Entry to the Jardins and Temple of Diana is free of charge.

Opening hours of Jardins de la Fontaine:
1 Sep - 30 Sep: 7.30am - 8pm
1 Oct - 1 Mar: 7.30am - 6.30pm
2 Mar - 31 Mar: 7.30am - 8pm
1 Apr - 31 Aug: 7.30am - 10pm



At the center of the pool is a statue which represents Nimes.

The Temple of Diana is part of a sanctuary devoted to the cult of the emperor and his family and doubtless played a role in celebrations.


It contains a main room, the vaulted cella flanked by corridors. The so-called temple is rather small and has no foundation for its attribution to Diana, the goddess of hunting.


Tour Magne is a Roman tower which was once part of the city's outer fortification. It now stands at the top of the garden, also the highest point of the town. It was built on a tower in the ramparts of the previous Gallic settlement. It was used to defend against the English during the Hundred Years' War.


To visit the interior of Tour Magne, you can buy a single ticket for EUR 3.50 (full) / EUR 3 (reduced) or buy a combination ticket with Maison Carre and Arena for EUR 13 (full) or EUR 11 (reduced). 

* All three monuments are now closed and will be open to the public from 15 December 2020.

Opens daily.
January, February, November and December: 9.30am – 1pm / 2pm – 4.30pm 
March and October: 9.30am – 1pm / 2pm – 6pm 
April, May and September: 9.30am – 6.30pm (closed from 1 to 2pm in September) 
June: 9am – 7pm 
July and August: 9am – 8pm 
Last admission: 30 minutes before the Tour Magne closes.


Next, I moved on to Maison Carree. Next to the Maison Carree, you can see this inscription. In 1758, the Nimes scholar Jean-Francois Segueir managed to decipher and render the inscription 'To Caius Caesar, son of Augustus, consul, and to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, consul designate. To the Prince of Youth.' His work made it possible to identify the monument as a temple of the imperial cult and to date it to 2 to 4 AD.



Maison Carree is inspired by the Mars Ultor in Rome. People gathered in the open area of the forum to attend ceremonies. Entry to the temple was reserved for the priests. Maison Carree is exceptionally well preserved, owing to the fact that it is constantly in use from the 11th century.

If you buy a ticket to enter Maison Carree, the ticket includes a 23-minute 3D film which is showing continuously every day. The film shows the history of the founding of Nimes through the destinies of a family, between 55 BC and 90 AD. Due to time constraint of the tour, I did not enter the building.

Maison Carree ticket price (with 3D film): EUR 6 (full), EUR 5 (reduced)

The Maison Carrée is open every day. 
January, February, November and December: 10am – 1pm / 2pm – 4.30pm 
March and October: 10am – 6pm (closed from 1 to 2pm in October) 
April, May and September: 10am – 6.30pm 
June: 10am - 7pm 
July and August: 9.30am – 8pm 
Last admission: 30 minutes before the Maison Carrée closes.
 

Last but not least, I visited the Arena of Nimes. The arena is one of the best preserved Roman arena which is still in use today. Its exterior comprises of two floors of 60 superimposed arches and an attic, separated by a cornice. In Roman times, the monument could hold 24,000 spectators. It currently seats 10,000 people when full.


The Amphitheater is open every day (except ferias and shows). Ferias is the French bull fighting festival in September. There is a statue of a bull fighter in front of the monument. It is a popular photo spot for tourist. This marked the end of my visit to Nimes. I will share my visit to Uzes in the next posting.


Arena ticket price (with audio guide): EUR 10 (full), EUR 8 (reduced) 

January, February, November and December: 9.30am – 5pm 
April, May and September: 9am – 6.30pm 
June: 9am – 7pm 
July and August: 9am – 8pm 
Last admission with audio guide: 1 hour before it closes 
Last self-guided admission: 30 minutes before it closes.

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