Camping in Nîmes

The historical city of Nîmes

The Domaine de Gajan is a campsite located near Nîmes at 30 kms. This city of the Gard is also called the “French Rome”. It is shaped by more than four millennia of history. It combines modernism and richness of the past which allowed it to obtain the label “City of Art and History”.

Not to be missed during your stay at Camping Domaine de Gajan:

THE MONUMENTS

• The arenas of Nimes: It is a monument built by the Romans of oval form, of perfect symmetry. Oval in shape, its design is very complex, it measures 133 meters long and 101 wide with a track of 68 by 38 meters. Measuring 21 meters high, its exterior facade has two floors of sixty arcades. It is the best preserved Roman amphitheater. In Roman times, the monument could accommodate 24,000 spectators.
• The square house : It was Inspired by the temples of Apollo and Mars Ultor in Rome. It is the only temple of the ancient world completely preserved, the Square House measures 26 meters long by 15 wide and 17 high. The Square House of Nimes was used without interruption from its conception to XIth century, which contributed to its conservation. It has been in turn consular house, stable, apartment, church. After the French Revolution, it became the seat of the first prefecture of the Gard, then was converted into the departmental archives. Every day, the film “Nemausus, the birth of Nîmes” is shown, in the Maison Carrée. This film takes you on a journey through the history of the foundation of Nîmes, between 55 BC and 90 AD.
• The Magne Tower: The Magne Tower, i.e. the Great Tower, is the only vestige of the ancient Augustan wall. It stands on the highest point of the city, Mount Cavalier, dominating the whole plain and from there the communication routes start. Originally, it is an oval dry stone tower with a maximum height of 18 meters, it protected the oppidum. Augustus doubled its height, thus marking the power of the colony of Nîmes. When the city abandons the heights, the Tour Magne continues however to play a military role. It is used for the defense against the English during the Hundred Years War. The Magne tower dominates the gardens of the Fountain.
• Les jardins de la Fontaine: First European public garden, it is a magnificent site of 15 hectares, created in 1745 at the request of the king of France, Louis XV, it is composed of two landscaped architectures: a classical garden of the XVIIth century and a Mediterranean garden of landscape style. At the beginning of the XIXth century, Augustin Cavalier, Mayor of Nîmes, implemented a vegetalization from different species, such as the Aleppo pine, the holm oak, the cypress as well as pathways for the walkers. The Magne tower dominates the garden. Since then, the rock garden, the Montgolfier basin with its aquatic plants and the mazet garden have been created. The gardens of the Fountain have been labeled by the Ministry of Culture and are a haven of peace where it is good to walk.

THE MUSEUMS

• Carré d’Art museum of contemporary art: Inaugurated in 1993, Carré d’Art hosts the media library and the museum of contemporary art and offers visitors a collection of contemporary art from the 1960s to today, with nearly 400 works. Throughout the year, the museum offers temporary exhibitions and regularly renewed displays of its collections, accompanied by activities and training. It is also a documentation center specialized in contemporary art and a bookshop. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, closed on January 1st, May 1st, November 1st and December 25th.
• Museum of Old Nîmes: The museum tells the history of Nîmes, through the daily objects used by the Nîmes inhabitants since the end of the Middle Ages. It is located in the old Episcopal palace of the 17th century. You can discover the local traditions, you can see the reconstitution of Nîmes interiors from the 18th to the 19th century. The blue room is devoted to the fabric of Nimes, the famous “denim”. The textile industry is an integral part of the history of the city of Nîmes, walking through the rooms you will see the famous shawls of Nîmes exported throughout Europe in the 18th century. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
• Bullfighting Museum The Museum of Bullfighting Cultures was opened in 2002. It is located just a few steps from the bullring, where you can see the bullfighting collections from the early 1920s and from 1955 onwards, works of art, everyday objects, popular objects, bullfighters’ costumes that evoke bullfighting traditions. The evolution and specificity of bullfighting games (Camargue race, Landes race, Spanish race), the festivals linked to bullfighting shows, the progress and ritual of the bullfight. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. Open from May to November from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, from November, the museum is open every first weekend of each month.
• Natural History Museum: the Nîmes Museum includes two entities: the Natural History Museum, the planetarium, temporary exhibitions and scientific workshops. Open every day except Monday from 10am to 6pm.

DISCOVERY OF NIMES

• Les Férias de Nîmes: Since 1952, an unmissable event for the weekend of Pentecost and in September for the féria des vendanges (since 1978). For several days, the bull is king. The féria begins with the Pégoulade, the carnival parade of the first evening. Then, we attend an abrivado (The gardians, with the help of their horses, lead a herd of bulls. Originally it was about bringing the bulls from the meadows to the village arena, The bandido is the return). Street entertainment, concerts, dances, music groups, jousting on the Canal de la Fontaine…
• The little train of Nîmes: Departure 6 Rue Auguste 30020 Nîmes (in front of the Maison Carrée). You will embark on the little train of Nîmes and will go along the Arena, the Maison Carrée, the Porte Auguste, the Jardins de la Fontaine, Carré d’Art, commented visit. Open from April to October. Duration 40 minutes. Visit the site of the little train of Nîmes for more information.