Nîmes is one of the great cities of Southern France and should be on everyone’s itinerary for its spectacular Roman monuments, gardens, fountains, boulevards, shops, outdoor cafés, restaurants and bullfights.

Although not technically part of modern Provence (PACA), the eastern half of the Gard département of which Nîmes is the capital city, is often referred to as Gard Provençal because it links Provence with Languedoc.

A very important city in Roman times, Nîmes or Nemausus has a splendid Amphitheatre as well as the superbly preserved Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne an ancient watchtower built by the Emperor Augustus. The main road to Spain from Italy, the Via Domitia, passed by the town and it was a colony for veterans of the victorious Roman Army in Egypt hence the symbol of the City, the Chained Crocodile.