Nimes
Roman City With One Of The Best Preserved Amphitheatres In The World And The Maison CarréE Temple, A UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 2023 · Nimes, Occitanie
Nîmes is a lively southern city on the edge of the Gard, founded as a Roman colony and still shaped by its Roman monuments more than almost any town outside Italy. The Arènes, a two-tier amphitheatre built around the end of the first century, is among the best preserved in the world and is still used for concerts, historical shows and the ferias, with bullfights and bull games held in it. A short walk away, the Maison Carrée is a Roman temple standing complete with its columns and roof; in 2023 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Facing it, Norman Foster's glass Carré d'Art holds a contemporary art museum and library. The Musée de la Romanité, a modern building opposite the arena, tells the story of Roman Nîmes with mosaics and finds. To the west, the eighteenth-century Jardins de la Fontaine climb to the Tour Magne, a Roman tower with views over the city. Denim takes its name from the cloth de Nîmes. Summers are very hot, and the Pont du Gard is about 25 minutes away.
Arènes and the Maison Carrée, Nîmes, Gard, Nimes, Occitanie, France
The old town streets, the outside of the Arènes and the Maison Carrée, and the square in front of the Carré d'Art are open at all hours. The Arènes, the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne are visited with timed tickets, open every day for most of the year with longer hours in summer and shorter ones in winter, and close on a few public holidays; a combined ticket covering the three Roman monuments, sometimes with the Musée de la Romanité, has been sold, so confirm what it currently includes and how long it lasts. The Arènes closes to visitors on the days of concerts, ferias and big events, and during their setting up, so check the calendar. The Musée de la Romanité has its own hours and a weekly closing day in low season. The Carré d'Art museum is generally closed on Mondays. The Jardins de la Fontaine are a public park open daily from morning until evening, with later closing in summer. Les Halles, the covered market, runs every morning and is busiest at the weekend. During the Feria de Pentecôte streets are crowded well into the night.