Is Nîmes Worth Visiting? Top Reasons To Visit Nîmes!

Is Nîmes worth visiting? If you ask me, absolutely yes! But I might be biased as the city has a strong Roman heritage. So much so that it’s known as the Rome of France.

You might or might not know already that I’m half Italian, from Rome actually, and have a sweet spot for anything Roman ruins.

But Roman ruins apart, there are many reasons to visit Nîmes in the southeast of France. It’s a city slightly off the beaten path in France with an energetic vibe and plenty of things to do.

To help you make up your own mind about whether Nîmes France is worth visiting or not, I’ll go more in-depth below. So unless I already convinced you, make sure you read on!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Make sure you pin it for later!

Reasons to visit Nîmes France

Incredible Roman remains

First things first. My top inspiration to visit Nîmes the first time was the incredible Roman remains in the city.

The Roman Amphitheater of Nîmes, the UNESCO-listed Maison Carree, and Porte d’Auguste are all splendid examples of 1st-century architecture from the period Emperor Augustus ruled the area.

There are also Roman remains in the city’s most popular park, Jardine de la Fontaine, like the Temple of Diana, which some believe was built after the era of Emperor Augustus to serve as a library and not a temple, and the Tour Magne.

Besides, there is a large aqueduct about half an hour’s drive outside of the city, Pont du Gard, that is worth seeing.

Beautiful churches

Nîmes is nothing short of beautiful churches and a stroll around the city will take you past several that are worth entering.

To mention some, the 17th-century cathedral is a must, and so is the gothic Church of Saint Baudile with its splendid stained glass windows.

I also enjoyed the Church of Sainte Perpétue which is by the large square of Fontaine Pradier. It also had some beautiful stained glass windows.

Interesting museums

You can also easily visit Nîmes for its museums. There are many, but my favorite was the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle where their exhibitions tell the tale of prehistoric times and the 1930s perception of ethnography.

Across from the amphitheater, you find the Museum Romanité, Nîmes’ archaeological museum. Train enthusiasts should definitely check out the Musée du Chemin de Fer de Nîmes which is located by the train lines. There’s a large exhibit of old locomotives that is a pretty awesome sight!

Energetic and laidback vibe

It’s hard to compete with the energetic vibe of Nîmes, especially in the summer. Yet, it felt quite laidback compared to other French cities we’ve visited. We absolutely loved it, the festivals, the music, and the people dancing in the streets.

I realize that not all year round will look the same, but there’s an aura over Nîmes where you can feel the locals and the tourists alike enjoying the city which is nothing but bewitching.

There are plenty of restaurants and bars where you can enjoy local or international food and indulge in great French wine.

Off the beaten path

Despite being such a great city, it’s still what I would consider a hidden treasure in France as most tourists seem to venture to nearby Arles or the bigger cities like Marseille and Montpellier.

I really love finding destinations with so much value that aren’t overrun by tourism. After all, contributing to overtourism isn’t my favorite tourist activity, though sometimes, understandably, you do want to visit famous destinations too.

Varied food scene

As I slightly touched on above, Nîmes has a fantastic and varied food scene. We had no problem finding vegan food and even tried vegan fast food (mainly to save time, but hey! Sometimes you just gotta let go) at Copper Branch which we really enjoyed.

But there are plenty of options throughout the city with international restaurants serving anything from Indian to Mexican and of course traditional French food.

I also recommend testing out Les Halles de Nîmes where you find a great variety of food from fresh fruit and vegetables to olives, cheese, nuts, and organic juices. It’s a great place to try different snacks, but they also have restaurants where you can order food and drinks.

Walkable city

One of the things I really enjoy on a city break is that the destination is walkable. I get easily overwhelmed if I have to take public transport from one end to another to see the tourist attractions and different neighborhoods.

Nîmes is the perfect size and super walkable. I still recommend wearing good sneakers for walking around whether you spend one day in Nîmes or more.

Fantastic green spaces

Another thing I need in a city is plenty of green space. Nîmes has plenty! My favorite is the Jardin de La Fontaine, a UNESCO-listed park full of Roman remains.

It’s full of statues and a large fountain in the middle decorated with statues and with gold fish swimming in the water.

You can tell it’s not only me who enjoys walking around there as the locals walk their dogs and groups of friends sit on the grass and chat.

Great base for day trips

Finally, Nîmes is a fabulous base for those day trips around the region. The city is well connected with buses and trains, but you can also easily get around by car.

You can easily take day trips from Nîmes to beautiful destinations like Arles, the town of Van Gogh, Avignon, Montpellier, and Béziers.

Still not sure it’s the right fit for you? Check out this video from our first visit to Nîmes:

Conclusion: Is Nîmes worth visiting?

So, is Nîmes a good place to visit? As I mentioned in the beginning, I absolutely love the city. But the important thing is if you will love it. I hope this article gave you enough insight to decide if it’s worth going on a France city break in Nîmes for you.

Happy travels!