Where everything you need to establish the Kingdom of Heaven is
Nimes, 2024. 07 May.
How can the name of the city be familiar? From the Denim jeans, a product of the American factory Levis, the material for this model was imported from Nimes. A town of one hundred and fifty thousand on the border of the Provence and Occitan regions. We’re in the south, so there must be some Roman remains here. Provance, so there must be a clear river somewhere, Green mountains, white limestone. What has a diverse history certainly has a diverse architecture. It’s close to the sea, so the air is fresher and the weather more balanced.
This time I’m anticipating the sights I’ll be visiting in the future:
Pont du Grand: This is a two-level aqueduct – viaduct system in a beautiful Provencal setting, approx. 20 km from the city.
MusĂ©e de la RomanitĂ©: This building was designed by a famous architect. It’s divisive, because they’ve put another modernist building in the historic setting – opposite the Roman Arena. I like this big cube because all the facades look like they are waving. It is said that its Roman collection is spectacular, sophisticated and rich. I’m also curious about the interior garden.
Roman Arena: I’ve seen the inside of arenas in Pula, Verona and Arles, so in this city it’s at the bottom of the list. And yet it is said to be the best preserved and largest Colosseum. World-famous concerts are also held here, but bull runs are much more common.
MusĂ©e CarrĂ© d’Art : Designed by Norman Foster, the museum mainly contains collections from the second half of the twentieth century to the present day. Temporary exhibitions of international renown are common.
Where I have been:
Maison Carée: Imagine an ancient temple in Athens. Now this is just like that, only in excellent condition.
Jardin de la Fontaine: This is a public park that is beautiful. Why is it different from the others? The fountains and the artificial streams that connect them. By the way, this garden is also left over from the Romanesque period. There are remains of Roman buildings, such as the Temple of Diana. You can eat and drink on the terraces around the fountains and then walk up the hill. At the top is the Tour Magne – of course, it’s also Romanesque. I think the panorama is worth going up for.
The city centre: which is also a pedestrian zone, fifteen minutes walk in diameter. From here it’s a ten-minute walk to the aforementioned fountain park; in the other direction, ten minutes to the train station. On the road around the old town is the Romanian Museum, the Arena, the CarĂ©e d’Art, and opposite the Maison CarĂ©e . In the old town there is the market hall, a clock tower (as usual in Provence, it has no roof either, just an iron structure holding the bell). In the centre of the quarter is the thousand-year-old St Castor’s Cathedral. Here, too, narrow streets wind their way to cozy terraces. The architecture is romantic – Mediterranean in character.
Esplanade Charles de Gaulle : This square has no particular tourist attractions, just a big fountain and lots of greenery. but it is very pleasant to rest here.
When do I recommend this city? If you’re looking for a day out. If the weather is bad, the beach is not far away.
Why do I recommend this city? Because it’s beautiful! For me, that’s reason enough! There are many Roman monuments in good condition. The museum collections are really interesting. It seems to me to be a slightly cheaper city compared to the coast. It has good transport links: the tgv train stops here, there are two motorways, Avignon, Marseille, Montpellier within a hundred kilometres.
What did you like best? You can find very tiny courtyards in quite surprising places, crowded with flowers.
In the end, I would say that the city of Nimes really is like heaven. The many Roman monuments, beautiful gardens and diverse museums make this place a real attraction. Personally, I’m very curious about the one hundred and twenty-fifth millennium-old French church, and I can’t wait to return to explore the creatively decorated museums. I think Nimes has something special for everyone and it’s worth taking a day to discover it.
