Thursdays in Nîmes (Les Jeudis de Nîmes)
Every Thursday evening during summer, in July and August, during the event Les Jeudis de Nîmes, the city of Nîmes delight you with music live (Flamenco, pop, jazz etc…), sellers of local products, antiques, street food and much more! These events will take place in the historic center of the city: Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, l’Esplanade, Petit Temple, Place Bellecroix, Place de la Maison Carrée, Place des Esclafidous, Cour du Musée du Vieux-Nîmes, Place de l’Horloge…. turning into a worth browsing night market and local specialties showcase. This is a great time to sample some of the local food, while rummaging among old paintings and knick-knacks, and enjoy having a walk in the buzzing streets of this beautiful Roman City.
Night Markets (Marchés du soir):
During Les Jeudis de Nîmes, from 6pm to midnight you can find several night markets within the city:
• Place de la Maison Carrée : Artisans, local handcrafted goods,
• Place de la Calade : Art, paintings,
• Rue du Grand Couvent : Artisans, local handcrafted goods,
• Place aux Herbes : Flea market, collectibles
• Rue de la Madeleine : books and collectibles,
• Way between place de l’Abbé Pierre and la place du Chapitre : Local food stalls.
From rue de la Madelaine to Place aux Herbes and around, you can find a street flea market, favorite haunt of late summer afternoon walkers making their lazy way around the neighborhood. There, all along the street you can find vendors selling a wide variety of interesting things, collectibles comic books, exotic stamps, art, toys, vintage objects, second hand cloth and so on.
If you reach the Place aux Herbes, you can also take a break at the terrace of one of the cafes located around the place such as Le Petit Moka (5 Place aux Herbes). In addition, if you walk furthermore behind the cathedral you will reach the Place du Chapitre. During the Jeudis de Nîmes, as well as some other days along the year, this place hold some music concerts or dance performances. Moreover, on the Place du Chapitre you can also find the restaurant La Piazetta http://restaurant-lapiazzetta.com/. So this Italian restaurant is great spot, it boasts 2 seating options indoor and alfresco areas with a terrace with the view over the Place du Chapitre. There you can enjoy among the best pizzas in Nîmes and a mouth-watering selection of antipasti and local dishes. To tell the truth, la pizetta is doing a good job at delivery quality, quantity and value all together.
On the way back to Place de l’horloge, you will walk along the rue de l’Horloge to reach the Place de la Calade to listen to some music concerts, see some street vendors and even have a drink at the Annaba Café. You will also notice the Opera of Nîmes on the side of the place.
However, the highlight of Thursdays in Nîmes (Les Jeudi de Nîmes) is in front of the Maison Carrée (Place de la Maison Carrée) where you will find plenty of stallholders selling arts and local products. Also notice that the Maison Carree is open to visits until 9pm during the event.
Not to mention that if you are craving for some food or feeling thirsty, you will find plenty of buzzing cafés and restaurants Place de la Maison Carrée. They come in addition to those you could find in the several streets of the historical center. So near the Maison Carrée, here is my suggestion if you want to have drink:
- Café Carré (great for the location of its terrace with the view over the crowd and the maison Carrée
- Le Napoleon (to see, stylish, classy decor that dates back to the time of Napoleon)
Also near the Maison Carrée, if you are craving for a meal, I suggest you
- Pizzeria Ceruti (25 rue de l’Horloge). Decent food, great for a delicious meal without pretention. Good pizzas cooked in wood oven, great portion sizes
- Le Bistrot de Tati Agnes (16, Rue de la Maison Carrée). French bistrot food, just the way it has to be made
- La Locanda ( 12 Rue de la Maison Carrée) for a meal. One of my favorite hidden Italian restaurant. Held by an Italian, this restaurant will serve you dishes made with love and passion for Italian traditional food.
If you want to have your meal with a breathtaking view over Nîmes then you definitely have to go to the restaurant Le Ciel de Nîmes http://lecieldenimes.net/ located at the top of the Carré d’Art museum. In fact, this restaurant offer a quite tiny selection of dishes and there is nothing very fancy about the food. However, the service is friendly and you can enjoy your meal with an outstanding view over the Maison Carrée and the roofs of Nîmes.
For a more upscale dinner and drink you may go to the relaxing outdoor terrace of La Bodeguita (1 Place d’Assas) http://www.royalhotel-nimes.com/labodeguita/_Le-restaurant
Yes, the weather is nicely warm, the sun goes down late, very late and we just want to enjoy our Mediterranean summer nights walking around in this very beautiful City of Nîmes. Indeed, the sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the objects you would never usually find, the constant cool and fun summer vibes you can literally feel in the air makes Thursdays in Nîmes (Les Jeudis de Nîmes) one of our favorite events ever! More information can be found at the Tourist Office of Nîmes http://www.ot-nimes.fr/en/evenements/what-not-to-miss/
Accommodation
If you are planning to go to Nîmes, you can easily book your hotel on Tripadvisor by clicking to the link bellow
It is easy to use, you can compare the different accommodations and you will get the best deals.
Ben – The South of France