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Nimes

Culture of Nimes. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Nimes is an ancient city with rich history and plenty of inimitable landmarks and sights. The formation of its culture was greatly affected by the Gall tribes and later on during the period of the Roman Empire the city was one of the most significant residential areas. The territory of a scenic small city concentrates dozens of historical landmarks and monuments of different epochs.

Advices to travellers: what you should know while being in Nimes

1. Nimes is characterized by quite hot summers. This is not the most comfortable period for fans of outdoor activities and those who expect to travel a lot. 2. In the vicinity of the …

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The Garden of Fountains or Jardins de la Fontaine is considered to be the age mate of the city. During the Roman epoch the place of the garden location hosted a marvelous palace. In the course of time the construction was totally ruined and a beautiful park was established on its place in the early 18th century. During a walk through the scenic park visitors will meet plenty of ancient fountains and statues which look just impressive and amazing sinking in the wild greenery of the park.

The Magne Tower (Tour Magne) is considered to be a significant construction. It was built in the 1st century BC. The same interesting landmark of the Roman Empire epoch is considered to be the Arenes de Nimes. Sometime this scale building could accommodate up to 24 thousands of people watching the ancient shows. The arena held Roman holidays and gladiators’ fights. At present the arena is an established place for holding sport competitions and poetry readings. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Shopping in Nimes - main shopping streets, outlets and boutiques

Nimes boats of many small specialized stores and souvenir shops that are never ignored by tourists. The bulk of the popular stores are concentrated in the central part of the city, and the …

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During a walk through the city one may meet plenty of ancient constructions and buildings. The territory of the city of Nimes has preserved the Roman thermae (bathing establishments) and even a part of the ancient water system. Tourists interested in the history of ancient Rome will love to visit and explore the Temple of Diane. Even though the building rests in shambles this mystique place is daily visited by hundreds of tourists.

Not far from the temple tourists will find a significant architectural landmark being an elegant arch named in honor of the first emperor of the Roman Empire Augustus. One of the most ancient buildings in the city is considered to be the Maison Carree. The building was established at the order of the Emperor Augustus. The erection of the temple was dedicated to the grandchildren of the emperor. In the course of the long history the building changed its intended purpose for several time and has miraculously escaped the ruination surviving till nowadays. In the 4th century the temple was reequipped into a church and during the French Revolution the building was used as a stable.

Guide to Nimes sightseeing - things to see and to visit

The city is a major center of education and culture. It is loved for its unique atmosphere of comfort and hospitality, as well as non-negotiable "Roman" color. The first things you'll see at …

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In 1823 the building was decided to reconstruct into a museum devoted to ancient arts. Its exposition includes hundreds of unique artifacts, some of the items of the collection aged more than thousands of years. Among other cultural objects of the city the Musee D'art Contemporain is best worth mentioning. Its exposition includes masterpieces of painters and artists of the 20th century.

Apart from the ancient attractions of the Roman era, many important religious objects are located in the city. Thus, Cathedrale Notre-Dame-Et-Saint-Castor de Nimes temple combining Gothic and Romanesque styles is also interesting as an architectural landmark. The construction of the church was completed in the 19th century. There have been churches on its site since 1096, and if the chronology begins from this moment, the cathedral can rightly be considered the city's oldest shrine. The Roman-Byzantine interior of the church was worked on by Henri Antoine Revois.

Family holidays with kids in Nimes. How to entertain your child, things to show to children.

Nimes is a city with a rich history and a huge number of preserved architectural monuments of Ancient Rome. Nowhere else in France can one find that many of them in one place. These include …

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Église Sainte-Baudile is equally worthy of inclusion on the list of Nimes' must-visit places. Built in 1877 on the project of the architect Jean Jules Mondo, it is a vivid example of neo-Gothic architecture. In this case, Mondo was guided by his own creation - Église du Sacré-Cœur located in Bordeaux. That's why the two buildings are quite similar to each other. Another interesting shrine is Eglise Saint-Paul, which is considered a wonderful masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Charles-Auguste Questel who worked on the project built the church in 1849. The church is notable for the fact that Pierre Boulanger, a famous architect who worked on the portal of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, had a hand in the creation of its spectacular carved doors.

Opposite the city's most important symbol - the already mentioned Arènes de Nîmes amphitheater - one can find a magnificent cultural institution acquainting visitors with the history of Nimes from the Roman era and the Gallic period to modern times. This is about the Musée de la Romanité, which is interesting for its multimedia exhibits (using augmented reality technologies and audiovisual technology). As the name implies, more attention in the museum is focused on the Roman period. After all, it was Romans who had the most significant influence on the city. The museum was opened in June 2018.

Cuisine of Nimes for gourmet with top restaurants and cafe

The main gastronomy feature of the city of Nimes is plenty of restaurants of ethnic cuisine. Even though all of the eating houses are specializing in one culinary trend, each of the …

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Since bullfighting is popular not only in Spain but also in Occitania, part of which is Nimes, it is worth mentioning one more interesting museum to visit - namely, the Musée des Cultures Taurines that tells everything about the tradition of bullfights. Connoisseurs of antique objects will appreciate such a cultural institution as the Musee du Vieux, which has collected lots of antique items ranging from household items to accessories and clothing. Those enthusiastic about heavy vehicles will be delighted with the Musee du Chemin de Fer de Nimes where a large number of trains are presented in the open air. Art connoisseurs would rather prefer such cultural institutions as Plume & Curiosites Art Gallery and the Musee des Beaux-Arts.

In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Nimes and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Nimes and surroundings

This guide to cultural sights Nimes is protected by the copyright law. You can re-publish this content with mandatory attribution: direct and active hyperlink to www.orangesmile.com.

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What to visit during two-day excursion in Nimes

Maison Carrée
Where: Place de la Comédie Nîmes, Nimes;

Notre Dame And Saint Castor

Carré D’art
Where: Place de la Maison Carré Nîmes, Nimes;

Reference information

Map of all palaces

Public palaces near Nimes
♥ Palace 'Palais des Papes' , 38.9 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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Map of all art museums

Art galleries in Nimes and around
♥ Art museum 'Musée des Beaux-Arts' Nîmes, 0.9 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Art museum 'Musée de l Arles et de la Provence antiques' Arles, 27.9 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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Map of all churches

Cathedrals and basilicas near Nimes
♥ Basilique Saint-Trophime, Arles, 28.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Chapelle Saint-Honorat, Arles, 29.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilique Saint-Pierre, Avignon, 38.9 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms, Avignon, 39 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Ancienne cathédrale Saint-Jean, Alès, 39 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilique Notre-Dame des Tables, Montpellier, 45.1 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilique-Cathédrale Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, Montpellier, 45.4 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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Culture of Nimes. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

City tours, excursions and tickets in Nimes and surroundings

What to visit during two-day excursion in Nimes

Photogallery of cultural heritage of Nimes

Landmarks of culture on Nimes map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Nimes