Nîmes' natural history museum has the usual displays of stuffed beasties, fossils and skeletons, as well as a few menhirs (standing stones) decorated by prehistoric artists. Don’t forget to say bonjour to Maurice the stuffed giraffe as you enter.
Musée d’Histoire Naturelle
Nîmes
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Pont du Gard
11.49 MILES
The extraordinary three-tiered Pont du Gard was once part of a 50km-long system of channels built around 19 BC to transport water from Uzès to Nîmes. The…
Les Arènes
0.23 MILES
Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial…
Musée Fabre
28.71 MILES
Founded in 1825 by painter François-Xavier Fabre, this exceptional museum houses one of France’s richest collections of European art. The galleries…
Palais des Papes
23.54 MILES
The largest Gothic palace ever built, the Palais des Papes was erected by Pope Clement V, who abandoned Rome in 1309 in the wake of violent disorder after…
Pont St-Bénézet
23.51 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
Duché
12.45 MILES
This fortified château belonged to the House of Crussol, who were the dukes of Uzès for over 1000 years until the French Revolution. The building is a…
Cathédrale St-Théodont
12.43 MILES
Built in 1090 on the site of a Roman temple, Uzès' cathedral was partially destroyed in both the 13th and 16th centuries and stripped during the French…
Nearby Nîmes attractions
1. Musée du Vieux Nîmes
0.14 MILES
Inside the city's 17th-century episcopal palace, the town museum delves into the history of Nîmes from Roman times through to the modern era, with lots of…
2. Église St-Baudile
0.18 MILES
Topped by twin towers reaching 70m, Nîmes' largest church (accommodating up to 3000 worshippers) was built in neogothic style between 1867 and 1877.
3. Les Arènes
0.23 MILES
Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial…
4. Musée de la Romanité
0.28 MILES
Opened in mid-2018, this futuristic steel-and-glass structure faces Les Arènes right in the heart of the city. Within, the ambitious archaeological museum…
5. Maison Carrée
0.32 MILES
Constructed in gleaming limestone around AD 5, this temple was built to honour Emperor Augustus’ two adopted sons. Despite the name, the Maison Carrée …
6. Carré d’Art – Musée d'Art Contemporain
0.36 MILES
The striking glass-and-steel Carré d’Art was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. Inside is the Musée d’Art Contemporain, with permanent and…
7. Musée des Beaux-Arts
0.39 MILES
The city’s fine-arts museum has a fairly pedestrian collection of Flemish, Italian and French works, although it’s worth a look for the fine Roman mosaic,…
8. Jardins de la Fontaine
0.64 MILES
Roman remains in these elegant gardens include the 30m-high Tour Magne, raised around 15 BC – the largest of a chain of towers conveying imperial power…