Monuments and sites

Land of histories

The Nîmes Metropolitan area has an array of major monuments and sites that defy the passage of time, while boldly meeting the future.

Nîmes boasts a concentration of some of the most beautiful Roman treasures: the Arena, the best-preserved amphitheatre in the world, the Maison Carrée, the Porte d’Auguste… The remnants of Roman history are everywhere, right down to the old ColNem coat of arms. As a matter of fact, Nîmes is in the process of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Yet, for all that, modernity can be found everywhere, from Norman Foster’s Carré d’Art to the brand new Musée de la Romanité, facing the Arena, by Élizabeth de Portzamparc. Nîmes’ historical centre, the Écusson neighbourhood, is an open juncture between all these periods, an open book that recounts the city’s history through timeless sites like Place de l’Horloge, the Cathedral, the Jardins de la Fontaine, the Tour Magne, the Castellum, where water from the Pont du Gard was delivered, and the Temple of Diana.

Roman Nîmes, Romanesque Saint-Gilles

In Saint-Gilles, the Abbey and its famous crypt, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been watching over the mediaeval town for almost 10 centuries.
Its completely restored façade is worthy of hours of contemplation…
This town, whose life has unfolded in step with the fitful pace of history as seen through its splendid Romanesque façades, is also the gateway to the Camargue, which you can explore from the canal.

The Nîmes Metropolitan area also has some exceptional landscapes, where nature fully asserts itself: the Costières vineyards that roll out as far as the eye can see, olive groves where sheep graze, Camargue rice paddies, horses and bulls as good as wild in the manades…There’s so much to explore!