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GARD TOURISM
Nimes
Camargue
Pont du Gard
Aigues Mortes
Grotte des Demoiselles
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
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 Nimes |
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.
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| The Camargue |
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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.
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Pont
du Gard, Roman aqueduct
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 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.
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| Aigues Mortes |
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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.
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| The Villages of the Gard |
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
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| Grotte des Demoiselles |
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A complex of caves discovered in 1770 with spectacular limestone stalactites and gigantic stalagmitic forms.
The cave is visited on a small train and is probably the most impressive of the caves in the Languedoc. 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.
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