If you know your way around the south of France, you'll know about Nimes. And if you know your way around Nimes, you'll have heard of the Pont du Gard, a huge three-tiered Roman aqueduct. This massive architectural feat that crosses the river Gard is very well preserved. It's part of the Nimes Aqueduct, a 50 km-long structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the nearby city of Nimes. Okay, enough boring details. This guide will detail how to enjoy your time at this aqueduct, assuming you ever find yourself around Nimes.
NOTE: The Pont du Gard is NOT in Nimes. As you can see from the map below, it's about a 30-minute drive from central Nimes. The next blog post will detail sights in Nimes, which you may want to coordinate with your time at the Pont du Gard. I highly recommend making the Pont du Gard a day trip, and staying in Nimes for one or two nights.
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| This map shows the relationship between the Pont du Gard and the nearby city of Nimes. |
Anyway, you can approach the Pont du Gard from the Right Bank (closer to Nimes) to the Left Bank (closer to Uzès). Either way, you'll probably get lost because all the trees make everything very confusing. (Warning: In the winter season, they sometimes close the access from the right bank and you can only get to it from one side due to flooding.) There are parking lots on both sides, but if you have less time for walking just visit the left side, since that's where the museum and food is.
Right Bank: Park and walk up the path towards the Pont du Gard... it's not exactly easy to miss! If you want to take panoramic photos, this is a great spot because you can find places that don't have a lot of trees on the banks. Enjoy the views of the Gard river; they can't be described in a photo. There's not a lot of shade here, so bring a hat.
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| The Pont du Gard from the Right Bank path. |
It's massive-- about 250m long and 49m tall.
You can walk across it on the second level on a big bridge that was later built onto the aqueduct. (If you look closely, you'll notice that the lower arch has been supported by more recently built arches, so people can walk across without worrying that it'll collapse. Just to make sure...
As for the lower level, you wouldn't want to walk down there. The pillars that are in the river usually have huge whirlpools forming around them, and you can watch (brave) people kayaking in the gorge.
Did you notice the top level of the aqueduct, with all the tiny arches? That's where the actual water was transported. Several years ago, they actually let you go up ON TOP of the aqueduct (which is about 1m wide, with no guard-rails or anything). The ultimate adrenaline rush! I would definitely recommend not doing this if you are afraid of heights (I haven't, but my dad told me about it). It's not open to the public anymore, but it sounds pretty awesome.
You can walk across it on the second level on a big bridge that was later built onto the aqueduct. (If you look closely, you'll notice that the lower arch has been supported by more recently built arches, so people can walk across without worrying that it'll collapse. Just to make sure...
As for the lower level, you wouldn't want to walk down there. The pillars that are in the river usually have huge whirlpools forming around them, and you can watch (brave) people kayaking in the gorge.
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| The view from the left bank, after crossing the aqueduct. |
Left Bank:
Once you leave the aqueduct, you can take a longer trail uphill towards a nice viewpoint. (You might also get a view of the Pont du Gard's actual aqueduct.)
If you went up that way, climb down and take the main route is alongside the river, you might see a very old, beautiful olive tree (if it hasn't been removed). Follow the many tourists until you get to the Espaces de Decouverte, which is basically a newly built, modern building. It's a combination of museum, information booth, small movie theatre, cafe, gift shop, and more. If you're hungry, they have excellent crepes here. The movie theatre is small, but the film about the Pont du Gard is very well done. Look up the playing times on the Pont du Gard website beforehand (link way below), because they repeat the film in different languages. If you come at the wrong time of day, you might end up watching it in German or Spanish.
If you're into history, the museum is very informative and interesting. I tend to get really bored in museums, but the dramatic lighting and setup of the museum is actually quite captivating. There's a kids room upstairs, and you can block off different parts of the Gard river to get water in the aqueduct in an interactive display. Kids 5-11 will find it interesting.
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| The Pont du Gard museum explains the history and construction of this ancient monument. |
Prices:
The $32 million project of refurbishing the space around the Pont du Gard has lost a lot of money since its recent construction because going to see the aqueduct is actually free. You only have to pay to get into the main building, and fewer people than expected have done that. I would highly recommend paying for the full experience because this is a project worth supporting, and it really is worth the money.
This is the most visited ancient monument in France, and definitely worth a stop if you happen to be in Southern France. Thanks for reading!
(Finally, if you are going to visit the Pont du Gard, click here for their website. Check it out for warnings about closures, information about the museum, the movie theatre, and the aqueduct itself.)
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