Jardins de la Fontaine visitor guide

Visit Jardins de la Fontaine, France

The Jardins de la Fontaine is located in the heart of Nimes on the northern edge of the historic old town. It is one of the earliest public gardens to be created in Europe.

Explore les Jardins de la Fontaine

France This Way Review: Les Jardins de la Fontaine is a lovely park and garden with some historic buildings. It's a nice respite from the bustle of central Nîmes.

Jardins de la Fontaine à Nimes

The Jardins de la Fontaine have developed around a natural source of water, 'la source de la fontaine'. The fluctuating spring is fed by water seeping through the soil and rocks around Nimes.

Because of this natural spring there has been a settlement here since the Iron Age. This area was one of the first in Nimes to be developed during the Gallo-Roman period and was the site of the Augusteum, a Roman religious cult.

The Temple of Diana still remains from this complex. The ruins of the Temple of Diana is a beautiful building that you can discover in the gardens. It dates from the 1st century.

In the 18th century in an effort to stabilise the flow of water to the city excavation works were carried out around the spring and various Roman remains were found.

The utilitarian project of water management became one of beautification of the area.

The gardens are now in two parts with a lower and upper section. In total there are fifteen hectares of garden.

In the lower section around the spring the gardens are in a French classical style with a beautiful pond surrounded by patios, stone balustrades, ornate statues and garden ornaments.

The stone statues and vases were brought to the gardens from the Chateau de la Mosson in Montpellier after it was dismantled in the 18th century. They are the works of Nicolas Sebastien Adam.

The pond leads to a short canal into the heart of the town of Nimes. It is edged with trees and adds a cool freshness to this part of town.

The Temple of Diana is in this lower part of the garden.

The gardens rise up fairly steeply from this lower garden and the upper garden has been planted on the hillside with a mix of Mediterranean plants and trees.

You can find olive trees, laurels, cypresses, pine, holm oaks and lots of aromatic plants. Paths wind up the hillside and along various terraces that have been created.

It is a pleasure to walk through the beautiful and very natural gardens and enjoy the quiet even while in the heart of the city.

At the top of the upper garden there is another Roman monument, the Magne Tower. The Magne Tower was built in the 1st century BC and is one of the key buildings to discover in Nimes.

You can climb to the top of the tower and from here you get great views over the gardens and the city of Nimes.

The Jardins de la Fontaine have been classified as one of France's 'Remarkable Gardens'.

In the gardens there are picnic areas and children's playgrounds. There are also a number of cultural events that take place in the gardens throughout the year.

Jardins de la Fontaine in Nimes

Attractions nearby

Nimes is an attractive city with lots of monuments to visit including its Ampitheatre which is one of the best preserved Roman ampitheatres in the world, and the Maison Carrée, a magnificent Roman temple.

Also to visit are the Carre d'Art library and contemporary art museum and the Romanite museum.

The remains of the monumental gateway into the Augustan cult are now in the atrium of the Romanite museum.

See more gardens in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Gard guide and the Languedoc-Roussillon guide.

To make travel arrangements to visit Jardins de la Fontaine see HERE