GARD TOURISM

Nimes

Camargue

Pont du Gard

Aigues Mortes

The department of the Gard, named after the river Gardon, is bordered to the east by the Rhone Valley and to the north, the Cevenne mountains. To the south the Petite Camargue which at one time was totally under water and is nowadays a series of lakes and marshes. The short coastline has a superb beach at Espiguette and Le Grau-du-Roi is an important fishing port. The centre of the department is a world of dry limestone, the garrigue, of vines and olive trees and the perfumes of the Mediterranean.

The Gard area was settled by the Romans and was crossed by the Roman road, Via Domitia, which led down to Spain. There are a number of important historical sites. website

Nimes is the capital of the Gard and is also the reason that jeans are made of denim. The material came from Nimes, ‘de Nimes‘ in French, hence 'denim’.

The Roman Arena, Nîmes

The Romans came to the region 2000 years ago. They founded Nimes as one of their largest outposts.

Built at the end of the 1st century AD, the arena in Nimes is the best preserved of Roman amphitheaters. Its 34 tiers provide seating for 23,000. Originally the site of gladiatorial combats, today the arena is the site of bull fights and popular music concerts. website.

La Maison Carrée was built in the first century AD and dominated the forum, the main square, which was the centre of public life. It is said to be the best-preserved Roman temple in the world.

Just facing it is the new glass building designed by Norman Foster, the Carré d'Art.

The Camargue is a wide expanse of water, land and sky. This area of marshes, canals and saltwater lakes is home to the Camargue bulls, wild horses and a great variety of birdlife including the pink flamingos.

The Rhone delta and the Mediterranean sea formed the geography of this region. Ancient crafts still thrive here: sauniers produce salt, sagneurs cut reeds for thatch and mattresses, manadiers herd bulls and choose the best for the local bullfights.

Wild horses are domesticated and used by the guardians raising the bulls.

The culture of salt in the Camargue dates back to Roman times. Today there are 10 000 hectares of salt flats.

Built 2000 years ago this is an incredible feat of construction. At 48 meters high and 270 m long, it is the largest aqueduct the Romans ever built.

Restored in the 18th century, the Pont du Gard crosses the Gardon Gorge and was part of a system that carried water from the Eure river near Uzès to Nîmes 50 km away.

It is possible to walk across the top. The lowest tier is now used as a road bridge. website.

Aigues-Mortes was built in the 13th Century by King Louis IX to provide France with a port on the Mediterranean and a point of departure for the Crusades.

The 1.6 km of ramparts contain 20 towers. The Constance Tower served as a prison from the 14 th century and Knights Templar were imprisoned there.

After the 14th century the town declined. It has since been encircled by rising silt from the Rhone estuary and is landlocked. But it remains a superb example of the architecture of the Middle Ages and inside the walls is a living town with souvenir shops and restaurants. website.

Uzès is a remarkable medieval town, a labyrinthe of narrow streets and shaded squares with arcades bordered by elegant 17th and 18th century private residences.

Le Duché is the name of an impressive castle with four medieval towers which was the residence of the dukes of Uzes. The highest tower, the Tour Bermonde (12 th century) is the oldest part of the building.

The rectangular keep built in the 11th century dominates the town. There is the Bermonde tower - from which there are views of the surrounding countryside.

The 12 th C Fenestrelle bell tower, was built in the style of the Tower of Pisa, and is the only one of its kind in France. Still standing straight, it is the only remnant of the former Romanesque Cathedral destroyed in 1563 by the Protestants during the Wars of Religion.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a boom of economic prosperity, as testified to by the magnificent rich bourgeois residences. website.

Sommières, 28km from Nîmes is a well preserved, atmospheric medieval town.

The writer Lawrence Durrell spent the last years of his life here.

On the hillside 3km above Sommières is the castle of Vieilleville. Owned by the same family for nearly eight hundred years, it is full of antique furniture. website

Le Grau-du-Roi is one of the largest fishing ports of the Mediterranean. Nearby Port-Camargue is one of largest marinas in Europe with more than 4000 boats.

The towns of the Gard: Aigues Mortes, Aimargues, Ales, Anduze, Bagnols sur Ceze, Barjac Bellegarde, Goudargues, Le Vigan, Lussan, Nimes, Quissac, Remoulins, Rochefort Du Gard, Saint Ambroix, Saint Bonnet Du Gard, Saint Jean Du Gard, Sommieres, Uzes.