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Vespa drives through narrow streets covered with pastel-tinted buildings, charming Piazza’s centered around graceful public fountains and all those fresh, homemade pasta. And of course, the Colosseum – AH, the absolute miracle that it is!
It’s no wonder millions of tourists Floating to Rome Every year:
It is a boundless trove of ancient wonders, but if you can’t stand the rising crowd or stand in line for o’clock To visit an attraction, it may not be the idyllic European outing that you want this summer.
Fortunately for you, the Romans did not stop on the Italian peninsula when building the greatest empire in history – they expanded wide and sideways in Europe, Including what is now France:
Although not as famous as the eternal city, Nimes is the home of an abundance of Roman monuments, including one of the best preserved arenas of the old world:
Nimes is the Italian city in France!
Located in Occitanie-a historically significant region in the south of France that is often overlooked by tourists on their way to Provence or the French Riviera is often described as ‘the most Roman city outside of Italy’.
Founded in the 1st century BC as Nemaeus, a Roman colony on a territory of the Gaul majority at the time, it became a strategic outpost and religious center of the gone.
Now Nimes is essentially An extension of the Italian peninsula in FranceAnd around the old city of the labyrinth, strewn with photo-perfect Piazza’s and pastel-hue-didents, you will feel that you are in a more compact, quieter Rome.
Rome may have the Pantheon, the best existing Roman temple that still exists, but Nimes has the Maison CarréePerhaps second in a state of preservation and one essentially unsuitable2,035 years old structure Located directly in the center of the city.
Dedicated to the dynasties of Gaius and Lucius Caesar, it became an important symbol of the imperial cult – the deification of Roman emperors and their families – and although smaller in size, it is just as impressive as the Pantheon, graceful portico and marble steps.
Roman ruins in abundance
Nimes’ parable with Rome is not limited to the Maison Carrée:
While the Italian capital has the Roman forum, the smaller French counterpart has the Jardin de la Fontainea 17th-century public garden with tree-flanked paths, beautiful fountain displays and,, bienûr” Many historical ruins.
The most striking is that the 1st-century temple of Diana, with partially preserved curved ceilings and niches that once probably had beautifully cut sculptures, and the NymphaeumA water reserve that was later improved with additives from Renaissance, still fed by the Millennia-Old Spring of the City.
Wait, there is more: On a hill overlooking the gardens, Tour Magne is A rare example of a fortification from the Roman era Built in 28 BC. Around the same time as Rome’s Mausoleum of Augustus.
A short half hour drive from the center of Nimes, there is also a UNESCO-GENTOUT Pont du GardAn aqueduct that previously supplies water to Nemaeus-Net as Rome’s own park of the aqueducts, except that it spans a crystal clear river that acts as a swimming spot in the summer.
Of course there is an old arena
We saved the best for the last time:
Les Arènes de NimesOr the Nimes Arena is the most monumental Roman structure of the city that is still standing, as well as one of the best maintained Roman amphitheaters in the world.
About 2.5 times smaller than the Colosseum, it may not be as powerful as its famous counterpart, but it is demonstrably in better condition.
The outer facade is still largely intact, and visible layered seats, while the Colosseums have been destroyed with the passage of time. It has too Vaulted corridors.
The Arena is also suitable for a maximum of 24,000 spectators, and in fact it continues to serve its original purpose:
In the summer it organizes concerts, festivals and even bullfights, with a millennia-old tradition of entertaining the public, there are no more gladiatorical fights, but can you imagine that you are attending a pop concert in a 2,000-year-old location?
How to get to Nimes this summer
The fastest way to Nîmes this summer is by taking a train from one of the larger cities in the south of France, either Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, or fun, although nice further.
The journey takes about 50 minutes from Marseille, a bustling Mediterranean port and the second largest city in France. Tickets On average € 19– € 26.
Aix-en-Provence offers the fastest route, just 11 minutes and with tickets that start from as cheap as € 4- € 5, although you first have to go to Aix by train, because it does not have an international airport.
Finally, from Nice, that Non -stop flights of at least 4 different American cities are organizing this summer, including New York and Philadelphia, the train journey up to 4h30 and tickets takes an average of € 60 – € 70.
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This article originally appeared on Traveloffpath.com
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