Nimes

This city is inextricably linked to its Roman past. Its location on the Via Domitia - the main chariot route from Spain to Rome - helped make it a favourite with a series of Emperors. Today it is endowed with an outstanding collection of monuments including the Maison Carree, the Amphitheatre and the Temple of Diana. Today it is home to a bustling commercial district, with winding streets hiding a plethora of boutiques. It also has two good art galleries and hosts some of the most colourful festivals in Languedoc-Roussillon - February's Carnival and the Ferias of Pentecost and September. (See Nimes travel guide for more details).