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Nīmes - Nīmes City
Nīmes is situated between Camargue, Cévennes and the sea, close to Arles and Avignon.
In addition to the bulls, the arena at Nīmes is a summer venue for rock concerts and sporting events. Nearby, the ancient temple of the Maison Carrée (open daily) is a fine example of Roman architectural flair with its delicate Corinthian columns.
Nīmes is home to some of the world's best-preserved Roman ruins alongside some fantastic modern buildings. French in essence but decidedly Spanish in character, this ancient town, filled with myth and history, is an absolute delight to explore. Nīmes was built around a natural spring. Initially, primitive nomad tribes used to come to wash and drink here and the site was declared divine from very early on: it was a place of rest and refreshment in the midst of a hostile and arid region
All local buses at nimes leave from, and go to, Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and it is here you should come if you wish to get out of the centre of town. Tickets may be bought on the bus or in newsagents, and cost 1.40 per journey. If you want to explore the surrounding countryside, you may want to rent a car. Another option for exploring Nīmes is to take the tourist train.
Whether from the Cevennes hills, the lagoons of the Camargue, the hot scrub land where the Mistral blows or from the deep waters of the Rhone, influences from the surrounding area adorn Nimes with a cloak of enlightenment. Exploring the region is a way of getting an insight into the thousand and one facets of the identity of Nīmes.
Nimes is nestling between Provence, the Camargue and the Cévennes mountains and you are constantly reminded that you are in the heart of Roman France. Nimes coat of arms still incorporates a crocodile chained to a palm tree, commemorating the defeat of Mark Anthony on the Nile by the Emperor Augustus, who rewarded his legionaries with grants of land in the flourishing colony of Provence.
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