This 6 km ‘runseeing’ tour of Nîmes hits all the highlights: historic centre, Amphiteatre, Maison Carrée, Jardin de La Fontaine, and the Tour Magne. It’s all on a combination of pedestrian-friendly streets or off-road paths.
Amphitheatre. CC: Krzysztof Golik
Start at the Tourist Office next to the imposing Roman Amphitheatre (Arènes de Nîmes). Do your own little tour of this area, including the Museum Romanité and the Fontaine Pradier, which includes a wide pedestrian path along the Avenue Feuchères. Head north through the narrow, maze-like streets of the historic centre, using Grand Rue as your anchor. LEFT on Rue Saint Castor, passing by the Nîmes Cathedral, continuing west through the centre on Rue Madelaine/Emile Jamais, to Av. Jean Jaurès. RIGHT on this grand avenue, which has an impressive approach to the Jardin de La Fontaine.
Enjoy a ~1.5 km loop along the switchback type paths in the hilly Jardin Fontaine, a 17th-century park featuring Roman ruins & botanic gardens, ponds & sculptures. At the north end is the Tour Magne, a stone watchtower that’s part of the Roman city wall. There are great views! Retrace your steps through the park, then head east on the scenic Quai de la Fontaine to Square Antonin, location of the Maison Carrée, the iconic restored Roman Temple, and the Carré d’Art, a Norman Foster-designed modern art museum. Conclude the route along the historic Bd. Victor Hugo.
This 6 km ‘runseeing’ tour of Nîmes hits all the highlights: historic centre, Amphiteatre, Maison Carrée, Jardin de La Fontaine, and the Tour Magne. It’s all on a combination of pedestrian-friendly streets or off-road paths.
Amphitheatre. CC: Krzysztof Golik
Start at the Tourist Office next to the imposing Roman Amphitheatre (Arènes de Nîmes). Do your own little tour of this area, including the Museum Romanité and the Fontaine Pradier, which includes a wide pedestrian path along the Avenue Feuchères. Head north through the narrow, maze-like streets of the historic centre, using Grand Rue as your anchor. LEFT on Rue Saint Castor, passing by the Nîmes Cathedral, continuing west through the centre on Rue Madelaine/Emile Jamais, to Av. Jean Jaurès. RIGHT on this grand avenue, which has an impressive approach to the Jardin de La Fontaine.
Enjoy a ~1.5 km loop along the switchback type paths in the hilly Jardin Fontaine, a 17th-century park featuring Roman ruins & botanic gardens, ponds & sculptures. At the north end is the Tour Magne, a stone watchtower that’s part of the Roman city wall. There are great views! Retrace your steps through the park, then head east on the scenic Quai de la Fontaine to Square Antonin, location of the Maison Carrée, the iconic restored Roman Temple, and the Carré d’Art, a Norman Foster-designed modern art museum. Conclude the route along the historic Bd. Victor Hugo.
The Bois des Espeisses is the go-to green spot for running in Nîmes. The 82-hectare area, located 2 km north of the city, features several km of well-marked trails through gently wooded terrain. A good shade option on a hot day!
Some fairly gentle trail running in this 264-hectare open space 10 km northwest of Nîmes. Clos Gaillard is known for its capitelles (ancient stone huts) and heritage stone walls. Choose from several color-coded trails through open scrubland and & light woods.
The best bet for a longer distance off-road run in the Nîmes area is to choose a section of the cycle path that runs for nearly 20 km between Caveirac and Sommières. The paved multi-use path runs through mostly farm type terrain, connecting numerous small towns.
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