Things to Do in Nîmes, France: Walking Guide

Nîmes is a compact city in southern France where Roman heritage meets the relaxed character of Provence. Known as “the French Rome,” it offers exceptionally well‑preserved monuments such as the Arena, the Maison Carrée temple and the Jardins de la Fontaine, making it a rewarding stop for anyone interested in ancient history and Provençal atmosphere. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Nîmes with 81 narrated places.

Exploring Nîmes’ Roman and historic sites

Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée is one of the best‑preserved Roman temples in the former empire. Completed at the start of the first century under Augustus, it was dedicated to Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar, the emperor’s adopted grandsons. The building stands on a podium about 2.85 metres high and measures roughly 26.4 by 13.5 metres. Ten Corinthian columns frame the entrance, while twenty half‑columns run along the outer walls, their capitals adorned with acanthus leaves and the frieze decorated with rosettes and similar foliage.

Cathédrale Notre‑Dame et Saint‑Castor

Located on Place aux Herbes, this cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Castor of Apt and serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the bishops of Nîmes, Uzès and Alès. Its architecture blends Romanesque and Gothic elements, later overlaid with Neo‑Gothic exterior details and Neo‑Byzantine interior decoration. Parts of the northwest tower and some façade arches date from the twelfth century, having survived the French Wars of Religion before being rebuilt in the nineteenth century.

Amphitheater of Nîmes (Arena)

The Arena of Nîmes is a remarkably well‑preserved Roman amphitheatre that still dominates the cityscape. Construction began around the end of the first century, circa 90 AD, when Nîmes was the colony of Nemausus. The elliptical structure measures about 133 by 101 metres, with a central arena of roughly 68 by 38 metres. Two levels of arcades encircle the monument, each with about sixty arches; the lower level arches are framed by Tuscan pilasters, the upper by Tuscan columns on high bases. Inside, steep seating tiers once accommodated up to 24 000 spectators in about thirty‑four rows, organised into four zones reflecting social divisions.

Musée de la Romanité

For a broader view of Nîmes’ Roman past, the Musée de la Romanité houses sculptures, mosaics, inscriptions and everyday objects from ancient Nemausus. Its collections help visitors understand daily life, religion and art in the former colony.

Jardins de la Fontaine and the Temple of Diana

The Jardins de la Fontaine provide a peaceful setting shaped by formal landscaping and waterways. Above the gardens stands the Magne Tower, while the atmospheric Temple of Diana adds another ancient layer to the site. Together they offer a calm contrast to the larger Roman monuments in the city centre.

Tour Magne

Rising above the Jardins de la Fontaine, the Tour Magne is the most imposing surviving remnant of the Roman wall that once encircled Nîmes. An octagonal base surrounds an older dry‑stone core about eighteen metres high, dating from the pre‑Roman Gallic period. The Romans built their monument around this core, greatly increasing the tower’s height; it originally stood near thirty‑six metres and is now about thirty‑two and a half metres tall. The upper levels feature Tuscan pilasters and, higher up, columns, though the tower’s original purpose remains uncertain.

Porta Augusta (Augustus Gate)

The Porta Augusta formed one of the ancient entrances to Nîmes, marking where the Domitian Way entered the colony. It has four arched passages: the two large central openings were for vehicles, the two smaller side openings for pedestrians. The gate was originally flanked by semicircular towers, whose positions are still indicated by circles of large flat stones in the pavement. Built in the first century BCE under Augustus, it stood on the road to Rome and was recognised as a historic monument in 1840 after being revealed from within a medieval fortress in 1752.

Porte de France (Spain Gate)

The Porte de France is the only intact gate from the old Roman wall. Erected in the first century BCE, during Augustus’ reign around 16‑15 BC, it features a single semicircular arch, the remains of four pilasters and a cornice above. Its upper section includes a blind gallery decorated with Tuscan pilasters, and it originally had a portcullis standing between two circular towers. The surrounding wall once stretched about seven kilometres, enclosing roughly 220 hectares with about ten gates and eighty towers, including the Magne Tower.

Former bishop’s palace (Musée du Vieux Nîmes)

Now home to the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, this building was a former episcopal palace dating from the late seventeenth century. Established as a museum in 1920 by Henry Bauquier, it was classified as a historic monument in 1986. The palace is arranged around a central main structure, with a main courtyard facing the cathedral and a garden, an eastern wing, a symmetrical western façade and additional buildings beyond the garden. The former stables once linked the courtyard, garden and rue du Chapitre; a 1910 modification created rue Mathieu‑Lacroix and altered courtyard access. Nearby lies Place Abbé Pierre, a separate point of interest.

Église Saint‑Paul de Nîmes

This neo‑Romanesque church, built between 1835 and 1849 by Charles‑Auguste Questel, is recognisable by its bell tower, which rises sixty‑two metres above the transept crossing. Recognised as a historical monument in 1909, its exterior doors feature hinges and locks made in 1845 by ironworker Pierre Boulanger under Questel’s direction; Boulanger also crafted the hinges for the central portal of Notre‑Dame Cathedral in Paris. Inside, the nave and apses display murals by Hippolyte Flandrin, while additional decoration comes from Alexandre Denuelle and stained‑glass windows by Laurent Charles Maréchal of Metz.

Château Fadaise

Château Fadaise is a private mansion listed as a historic monument since 1964, representing one of Nîmes’ notable civil buildings.

Fontaine Pradier

The Fontaine Pradier, also known as the Esplanade Fountain, is a monumental marble fountain created by architect Charles Questel and sculptor James Pradier. It was inaugurated on 1 June 1851 and has been a listed historic monument since an official order of 16 November 1988.

Chapelle des Jésuites

Located in the Gard department, the Chapelle des Jésuites is a chapel that forms part of the city’s religious heritage.

Église Saint‑Charles de Nîmes

Saint‑Charles Church is a neoclassical landmark listed as a historic monument in 2010, situated in the Gard department of the Occitanie region.

Explore Nîmes with Neywo

Neywo provides a free audio guide that lets you discover the city at your own pace. In Nîmes you can choose from four walking tours, one bus route and one bike route. The walks are: “Rome in the Heart of Nîmes: Arena, Temple and Cathedral” (1.5 km, 101 min, 11 stops); “Up Mont Cavalier: Roman Water, Towers and Gardens” (2.42 km, 84 min, 9 stops); “The Gate of Augustus and the Mansions of Old Nîmes” (1.15 km, 80 min, 11 stops); and “The Southern Gate: Porte de France, Saint‑Paul and Fine Arts” (2.23 km, 91 min, 10 stops). The bus tour, “Tram‑Bus T1: Roman Gates, Maison Carrée and the Romanité,” covers 2.8 km in 12 minutes with six stops. The bike route, “Roman Nîmes by Bike: Arena, Gate and Temple,” spans 3 km in 15 minutes with seven stops. As you reach each point, the app narrates the story of that place, allowing you to explore without a group or a fixed schedule.

Ready to experience Nîmes’ Roman legacy and Provençal charm? Download Neywo and let the city’s stories unfold as you walk.

Occitania
France
Montpellier
Toulouse
Uzès