NÎMES & THE la Soietells thestoryofsilkwormfarming, thearea’s traditionalcottageindustry. repository the Musée de oflostruraltradesandtools,whilenearby,atSt-Hippolyte duFort, CornichedesCévennes,the spectacular istheMuséedesVallées Cévenoles, afascinating pin andbrightwithflowersinsummer. InSt-Jean duGard,gateway toHaut-Languedoc via a sweettooth.DeeperinlandisAlès,proudofitscoal-mininghistory,yetcleanasnew while itsMuséeduBonbon,aconfectionery museum,isamustforchildren andanyonewith whole Languedoc-Roussilloncoastline. galore andthemostextensive forwatermarina; opportunities beachesalongthe sports; sailed fromitsharbourforthecrusades. todayaswhenSt Louis withitscrenellated isasintact up lunch.Aigues-Mortes ramparts salt pans,herdsofsemi-wildbullsroam,horsessplashandflockspinkflamingosscoop two formWestern Europe’s largest river delta. Here, where canalscuttheirwaybesidestill modified PontRomain. only yesterday. AndSommières, adelightfullittleprovincial town,boastsitsownmuch- the highestbridgeinRomanEmpire, might have beenslungacrosstheRiver Gard main town,boastsFrance’sbest-preserved Romanarena. The PontduGardaqueduct, ofLanguedoc-RoussilloncanclaimsucharichRomanheritage. Nîmes,the No otherpart Nîmes &the Gard 68 © LonelyPlanetPublications Inland isUzès. PlaceauxHerbes,itsarcadedcentralsquare, isoneofthecutest inallFrance, Le Camargue, GrauduRoi,thearea’s coastalholidaymecca,hasPort agiant, ultramodern La Petite Camargue isthejuniorsister toProvence’s Camargue insize alone. Together,the

„ „ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

Learn aboutsilkwormfarmingatthe thecagedownto Ride Hire ahorseandexplore LaPetite Camargue Tourthesalt pansof of preserved ramparts Walktheperfectly Canoe downstream from withthethrongat Mix a coalmineinAlès near Aigues-Mortes under Vendanges de laSoie Le GrauduRoi Le PontduGard ( p95 ), St-Hippolyte duFort 7 , Nîmes ( p70), (p82) (p83) Salins duMidi Mine Témoin ( p86 ) Féria des 8 and (p87) ( p82 ) (p91), Musée du Fort St-Hippolyte Le Grau du Roi Salins duMidi Alès Aigues-Mortes Collias Nîmes NÎMES & THE GARD . 69 Violes - Caumont Airport e Provence Camaret- St-Rémy de sur-Aigues c Les Baux n de Provence a

r

Avignon u

autoroute D Sauveterre du Pape Graveson Roquemaure Chateauneuf Mallane Barbentane Trois

Orange e St-Paul ôn Château Rh Villeneuve

Fontvieille Canal d'Arles lés Avignon nd ra G Pont de Crau Tarascon Tavel Arles Aramon Théziers Villeneuve St-Laurent des Arbres Laudun Mas des Tourelles Beaucaire Carne Gageron 00 10 miles 25 km D986L Étang de Vaccarès St-Laurent de Carnols Abbaye La Begude D38 Bellegarde de St-Roman Régional l'Ardèche

Parc Naturel Albaron Gard de Camargue

D982

St-Martin de e

Pont du n ô

h

D5 R

t

D981 i t Poterie e

d

Le Moulin des Costières

r

Collias P Cabrieres a

Nîmes Airport D23 St-Quentin-la- G History History ’s best-preserved town. Reliable Roman was again a factor in its expansion, water than 40kmflowing from distant springs more away and sluicing across the still-standing ). Affluent and astride the p86 Pont du Gard ( itsVia Domitia, Colonia Nemausensis reached as the city continues its centuries-old rivalry the with Montpellier, just down Nîmes owes its position to the spring La flow theFontaine, around whose year-round settled. tribe first The Celtic Volcae-Arecomici in, embellished the spring Romans moved and statuary, and estab- baths with a temple, lished the city that today vies with rival Arles, for the title of Provence, in neighbouring

D42

e

t è

St-Gilles

Uzès S Générac .

à

Gorges

e n

du

ô

h Nîmes

Russan

R

D PETITE CAMARGUE

u

d

l

R a

n Canal de Sylveréal de Canal a

N113 C garrigue

A Vergèze

D999

Aigues-Mortes

G Vidourle D904 Cocalière Grotte de la Aubois Vézénobres Montagnac A9 Auzonnet N113 Junas Sommières Motte du Roi St-Florent-sur- Le Grau D6110 La Grande D6110 D128 D906 D59

Alès Vidourle Château de Portes Golfe du Lion D610 D999 D62 Étang de Mauguio ou de l'Or Castries NÎMES & AROUND •• Nîmes Générargues Carnon Argentieres Canaules-et- Col de Portes Grotte de Trabuc Le Mas Soubeyran St-Bauzille les-Flots Palavas- de Montmel St-Martin D17 Durfort-et- de Sossenac D65 Pérols Assas Lattes La Grand'Combe N106 Mialet Montpellier St-Vincent de St-Vincent Barbeyrargues

Castagnol St-Mathieu de Tréviers

Maguelone

CÉVENNES Randonnée Villeneuve-lès-

du Fort St-Jean Maison de la D907 NÎMES & THE GARD & THE NÎMES du Gard D986 D998 Loup St-Hippolyte La Cadiere Les Matelles

Pic St- NÎMES & AROUND NÎMES & AROUND handful of stunning modern constructions handful of You’ll need to plough your way through its true heart, still beating where the Romans the Romans true heart, still beating where millennia than two established a town more France’s best- you’ll find some of Here, ago. preserved with a classical buildings, together bleak, traffic-clogged outskirts to reach its its bleak, traffic-clogged outskirts to reach lavender and thyme) is a little bit Provençal and thyme) is a little bit Provençal lavender but with a soul as Languedocien as cassoulet Nîmes, ringed by vineyards and Nîmes, ringed with rosemary,(prickly scrub, headily scented NÎMES NÎMES pop 145,000 lonelyplanet.com