What to Do in Nimes – The Roman Road in the South of France

Here’s what to do in Nimes, France, one of Europe’s most historically rich cities, dating back to the very early beginnings of the Roman Empire.

It may come as a surprise to some to learn that the south of France contains some of Europe’s most historically and culturally rich cities with Roman Empire foundations. Like in Nimes. Far from the champagne-swigging, southern high society decadence of Cannes, St Tropez, and Monaco and the leisurely coastlines of Nice, is a region packed with lesser-known cities with centuries-old stories.

When the Romans built the Via Domitia – the first Roman road built in Gaul linking Italy to Spain through what is now southern France – they created over 70,000 miles of a history and culture trail, which now meets here, unified, in the very middle. At that time, Nîmes was the fifth most important town in the Roman Empire; today, its grand monuments remain, and the three Mediterranean cultures intertwine.

You can still travel parts of this route and find Nîmes proudly displaying its ancient heritage. History is not off-limits, but it is a backdrop to a flourishing contemporary and artistic lifestyle. Here, monuments and old mansions have been preserved and play host to everything from art galleries and boutique stores to daily rendezvous and apartment spaces.

Why Nîmes is the French Rome

“When you dig in Nîmes, you always find something,” I was told as I made my way into the city centre. Yet when I arrived at my hotel, I saw that not everything had been covered up.

“It’s Baby Rome!” I said, immediately spotting the Amphitheatre, one of the city’s most treasured and prominent monuments.

Nîmes is more affectionately known as “French Rome” or “Roman France” having been built during the reign of Emperor Augustus (and just after the passing of Ceasar) up until the 2^nd century AD. During this period, key monuments such as this were built alongside the Maison Carree (Square House) and the Pont de Gard 50km long aqueduct. It was, after all, a very important town in the Roman Gaul.

Checking into my homely suite in the aptly named Hôtel Amphithéâte, which, as the name suggests, has a prime view, I was all too eager to check out its ancient namesake neighbour that was once the largest of its kind in Roman Gaul. All the while I was trying to remember that I was in France.

Its two levels of 60 arcade arches might seem small in comparison to the famous Colosseum’s four, but ask anyone in Nîmes, and they will proudly tell you that theirs is the best-preserved of the Roman world.

While you might find yourself lost in a sea of eager-eyed people in Rome, in Nîmes, you are likely to have much of it to yourself. Empty, you can imagine it in its prime, exploring the lower levels where the rich would be positioned and climbing to the top where the poor spectators would sit for the show.

A guide will soon bring the truth to light, for this was no place of death. I soon learnt that Gladiators fighting to the death is actually a myth—not like how the films make it out. It would cost too much money for them to be killed, both for the organiser to get the animals in and for the gladiator school, which would demand compensation for the loss of one of its men. Only 14 Gladiators died here within four centuries.

Today the Amphitheatre serves as one of the main arenas for the annual Spanish style Féria that’s been held here since 1952, which includes the debatable (and deplorable) bullfighting tradition. The revered bullfighters continued the tradition of staying in the Hôtel Imperator, which attracted the likes of Ernest Hemingway. The city sees over two million people pour into town for concerts, impromptu bars (‘bodegas’) and a series of lively events booked months in advance. 

Nîmes Today – Modernity With a Historical Backdrop

Life exists in the old streets. Tapas and a glass of the blush pink local rose wine is an adequate enough order to fit right in, whether afternoon or evening.

One of the only modern buildings hums with local shoppers. Stop by Les Halles (Provencal market) to sample some local specialities, including Brandade de Nimes—salted cod soaked in milk and beaten with olive oil to make a smooth paste—and watch people stock up on Petit pâté nîmois—pastry containing veal and pork stuffing, eaten hot.

Then, time hop with a visit to Maison Villaret à Nîmes and sample the generations-old sweet treat, Croquant Villaret—long, hard golden biscuits made with almonds and honey.

This is all fuel for the exploration, where you will stroll the old streets in their neutral shades of sand and pink, a cafe au lait trail of alleyways that lead to the proud markers of the city.

The Maison Caree (Square House) is the only fully preserved temple of the ancient world. Many people relax on the platforms between its columns or enjoy the creative space of its interior, which has been home to a cinema and gallery.

It is likely it wouldn’t survive without the modern Carre d’art building (built by Lord Norman Foster) that sits opposite. Its contemporary and deliberately mirrored style is not hard to miss. The water drainage system beneath the stylish glass façade of this contemporary gallery, library and rooftop restaurant saves it from the damage of flooding. Old and new sit side by side in unison, old inspiring the new and new preserving the old.

A stroll through the Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain) took me back to the bourgeois period of the city from the 16^th century onwards. Following the grand build of the Roman Era, there was a decline during the Middle Ages, to the point where people even took refuge inside the Amphitheatre, where homes were even erected.

In slow recovery, it wasn’t until the 16^th century when Protestants, suffering during the Wars of Religion, took to trade following exclusion from society. Their cloth production made the town very rich, and it was in Nîmes that the now worldwide popular Denim was invented. The term ‘Denim Jeans’ comes from Nimes and the neighbouring Italian city Genoa (the soldiers here dyed their denim uniforms indigo).

A peek into the city mansions of the 16^th – 18^th centuries and admiring their preserved stonework are the living symbols of this prosperous time, which later included silk and winemaking.

The gardens were a part of that – with the people wanting to see something more modern – embedding, but not destroying, the Roman history underneath the well-manicured lawns. The Temple of Diana still stands here, crumbling in mystery – no one knows what its exact use was.

I ended my time here climbing the 32-metre-high Tour Magne to be rewarded with an incredible view of the city below—looking down on what was once a strategic powerhouse of the Roman Empire but is now a backdrop to a flourishing contemporary, artistic, and stylish French city.

I felt this more as I walked to the newly constructed Esplanade and Avenue Feuchères, which connects the Amphitheatre to the train station. There, I boarded the modern-day high-speed train to my next ancient destination: Avignon.

Travelling more in France? Here are some budget trip and culture tips on how to go backpacking in France. 

Editorial Disclaimer: This trip was in conjunction with Atout France and the #RendezvousenFrance campaign to showcase individual stories and experiences from France, outside of the key hotspots we know. All opinions and chosen historical insights remain my own.