The Pont du Gard has been crossing the Gardon for some 2,000 years!
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The Pont du Gard has been crossing the Gardon for some 2,000 years! |
Click on any image to see a larger (1500 x 1000 pixel) version!
During the first century AD, the Romans built a 50 kilometer (31 mile) canal system to carry water from a spring near Uzès to the city of Nîmes. While mostly underground, a bridge had to be built to move water across the gorge of the Gardon. The limestone bridge has a height of 49 meters (160 feet) and used to carry an estimated 200,000 cubic meters of water (almost 53 million gallons) per day. Over its entire length, the canal system descended in height by only 17 meters (56 feet), while the bridge itself dips by a mere 2.5 centimeters, just under one inch!
On September 18, 2015, my friend Didier and I visited the Pont du Gard. I hadn't been there in many years; access used to be free, but I remembered the whole site as very dirty and somewhat run-down. Today, one pays 18 € per visiting car (which includes access to the entire site for up to five people), and the grounds are immaculate and extremely well maintained. In my opinion, this is a huge improvement. There is also a wonderful nature walk called Mémoires de Garrigue, a beautiful display of Mediterranean vegetation we happily explored. To find out more about the whole Pont du Gard site, you can visit its official web site.
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The visitor center |
A first glimpse of the aqueduct |
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Entering the Mémoires de Garrigue |
An olive grove |
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Of course, there are vines, too |
A first borie, a circular shepherd's hut built of dry stones |
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A lovely walk in the shade |
We walked for quite some time without encountering a soul |
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A sightseeing platform... |
...provides a lovely view towards the Rhône valley. |
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A stately olive tree |
Approaching a second borie |
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This one seems better preserved and even has a door |
No two olive trees are alike |
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Exiting the Mémoires de Garrigue |
Back at the Pont du Gard |
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Approaching the aqueduct |
On the Pont du Gard |
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Crossing the Pont du Gard |
The view from the bridge onto the Gardon |
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Looking at the aqueduct from the other side |
On the right bank of the Gardon |
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The view from our lunch table |
An imposing structure |
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All this to carry water... |
A closer look |
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This is definitely built to last |
Overall view from the west side (upstream) |
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On the west side |
On the east side |
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One can still walk across the top part, but only with a guide |
The pillars are rather massive |
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Le Vieux Moulin (today, a snack bar!) |
One last look before heading home |
These photographs are also available in one of our web galleries.
Among other things, the gallery allows viewing the photos as a slide show. Check it out!
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