In Nîmes we only make a short stopover on the way to our actual next destination Avignon. We are quickly positively surprised by Nîmes. The historical core of Nîmes pleases us well and so we spend a whole day in Nîmes unplanned.

Les Jardins de la Fontaine, Nîmes

In Nîmes, the mood is noticeably more relaxed as we search for a parking space for Ben. It is interesting how in France this depends strongly on the region and the size of the cities, whether a safe parking place can be found quickly and easily or not. In any case, in Nîmes, safe parking is possible directly behind the park Les Jardins de la Fontaine without any delay.
Our visit to the city starts very green, relaxed and with a nice walk in the park. We like strolling through the winding paths by the fountains and the large water basins. During our visit we also learn that here function was combined with aesthetics already in the 18th century. The water basins were used to supply water to the industry in the city. To prevent a water shortage, the basins were designed to be large and attractive at the same time, so that visitors to the park could take advantage of the water reservoir.

Arena of Nîmes

In Nîmes, the Roman amphitheater is still regularly used for events. Among other things, history plays and concerts are held in this amphitheater today. From the outside the view is still very original. The countless arches that support the interior stands have been well maintained, giving a very authentic impression of the amphitheater. Inside, many corridors and paths leading to the stands are still historic. The benches and, in some cases, entire sections of the grandstands have been built in on steel scaffolding, so that the historic structure is preserved as faithfully as possible and can be completely filled with visitors despite the partial decay of the grandstand tiers.

Surprisingly, the area of the arena seems very close even from the top tiers and we can directly imagine how here the crowd is cheering along with the spectacle in the arena. In any case the arena of Nîmes is a nice visit. Even more exciting would be the visit of an event. This might be our plan next time should we visit Nîmes again.

Pont du Gard

Indirectly, the Pont du Gard – a Roman aqueduct, which was extended with a traffic bridge – belongs to the historical infrastructure of Nîmes. Already around the year zero over this aqueduct huge water masses were led through the altogether 50km long water canal network to Nîmes. The sight of the Pont du Gard in its present state is still very impressive. With its three levels, the bridge is almost 50m high and longer or shorter depending on the level to connect the riverbanks. The top level is also the longest level of the bridge and spans the Gardon River over 275m.

The Pont du Gard is perfectly situated on the route from Nîmes to Avignon and so we have already revealed our next destination. Avignon is our next stop in the south of France on the Mediterranean coast.