The city of Nîmes in Provence

Nimes, only 30 minutes away from Avignon or Arles, is also a witness of the French Roman heritage. A bit less touristy than Avignon, Nimes is appreciated for its pleasant weather. The city located along the Via Domitia (Roman way joining Spain and Italy) is home of some of the finest Roman architecture such as the most visited attraction: les Arènes - Nimes arenas. Nimes is also known for its controverted passion for bullfighting – still taking place in the Roman arenas – which are most appreciated by locals and very much criticized by other French people or foreigners.

We have prepared a walking itinerary for you to explore Nîmes at your own pace. We can include a day in Nîmes and the nearby area to any of our Provence itineraries.

Nîmes is also famous for its “Maison Carrée” a jewel-like temple, celebrated for its harmony of proportion. Built in 5 AD, it is dedicated to the adopted sons of Emperor Augustus. It is being said that Napoleon would have taken it as the model for the church of the Madeleine in Paris (near Concorde).

 

Maison Carrée in Nimes

La Maison Carré Temple in Nimes - ©FJFY

Nîmes is also the French city where the “denim” blue jeans where invented: literally denim means "de Nimes" (from Nimes). They are wore by the cowboys in the Camargue. Many Provencal fabric shop can be found in Nimes, along with the famous colorful Provencal tablecloths.

 

Pont du Gard Roman Bridge

At a 30 minute drive, you will reach the dramatic Pont du Gard, the tallest and best conserved of all Roman aqueducts.

Close to Nimes and Avignon, the Pont du Gard is a three stories Roman aqueduct which was added to the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1985. It was built in 19 BC by the Romans under the commandment of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus. During ancient times, Romans could transport water through the Roman aqueduct from the springs near Uzès.

 

Pont du Gard roman bridge provence

Pont du Gard Roman Bridge - ©Kirk Fisher

 

The history of the Pont du Gard is fascinating: built without mortar, the ancient aqueduct still thrive over the age, despite multiple flooding and occasional negligence. This masterpiece of Roman engineering is a very popular attraction in Provence and we will tell you where to take the best shots - avoiding parts of the crowds.

We will also recommend you another Roman bridge – much smaller – but totally unknown from the tourists in Provence. 

 

Discover Provence Heritage on a self-drive trip :

Duration
10 days
Price
US$ 4140
Region
in Paris & Provence

Explore two very typical and stunning regions of France and get a real feel for our beautiful country.

Countryside
Art & Museums in France
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4970
Region
in Provence & French Riviera

Enjoy the sweet scents, vivid colors, flavorful tastes, sunshine and warm wind of Provence & the Riviera. To save time and energy, we recommend you fly in and out of Marseille (or Nice) International Airport. Otherwise, we can also help with TGV train tickets.

Gourmet Food
Countryside
Art & Museums in France

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Our Travelers’ Reviews

Janis
We are experienced travelers and spent about three weeks traveling the french countryside via Emilie’s arrangements. Her personalized guidebook provided everything we could have asked for and, when some unexpected issues came up, Emilie promptly responded with kind, thoughtful assistance. We spent days with detailed driving tours, truffle hunting …
Kim, Eric & Family
We had a great vacation thanks to you. Your arrangements and attention to detail were unsurpassed. We got to enjoy such a wonderful experience of France because of your little details and suggestions; things we did and saw we would never had been aware of or done if we traveled on our own itinerary or had a canned tour. Thanks so much for all of …
Debbi
We worked with Emilie to craft a 10 day trip that customized one of the trips on their website and were wonderfully pleased with our whole experience. The b&b hosts and various guided events we participated in all treated us wonderfully and were clear that Emilie had visited & vetted each property (and even rooms!) The personal tour book we …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Marcia & Elliott
Celebrating Marcia's birthday in a Michelin restaurant
Harry & Caroline
From Australia
Wine & Cheese Tasting
Joe & Beth
From the US
Truffle hunting in Provence
Amy & Louise
Wine tasting....
Linda
From Australia
Celebrating her 40th birthday in the Loire Valley
Karen, Theresa, Mike & Bill
From the US
Dinner with view...
Catherine, Chee Keong & Kate
From Malaysia
In Caen, Normandy, during the June commemorations of D-Day
Naomi
From the US
In Villandry gardens in the Loire Valley
Shirley & Bob
from the US
After a concert in Paris
Sandra & Tracey
From the US
Girls trip to France !
Georgia & Matt from Australia
Cooking fresh stawberries from Carpentras in Provence
Elizabeth
From Canada
At her B&B in Normandy