How can I watch Pont du Gard for free?
What some people don’t seem to know is that access to the Pont du Gard is totally free for hikers — the national hiking trails GR6 and GR63 run directly through the site. The trails are blazed and pretty easy to find with a bit of online research.
What does Pont du Gard mean in French?
Bridge of the Gard
Pont du Gard, (French: “Bridge of the Gard”) giant bridge-aqueduct, a notable ancient Roman engineering work constructed about 19 bce to carry water to the city of Nîmes over the Gard River in southern France.
What is the significance of Pont du Gard?
The Pont du Gard is a Roman monument built halfway through the 1st century AD. It is the principal construction in a 50 km long aqueduct that supplied the city of Nîmes, formerly known as Nemausus, with water. Built as a three-level aqueduct standing 50 m high, it allowed water to flow across the Gardon river..
What is the legend of Pont du Gard?
A Provençal legend credits the building of the Pont du Gard to the devil himself. In fact, no other human had succeeded in taming the Gardon River that engulfed any beginning of construction. One night, after the third destruction of his efforts, a mason lamented: “This could be enough to give oneself to the devil”.
Do you have to pay for the Pont du Gard?
There is no charge for access to the Pont du Gard for hikers. The GR6 (Grande Randonnée) hiking trail crosses the bridge.
Can you visit the Pont du Gard?
The Pont du Gard site is open to the public all year round. If you are visiting the aqueduct, any of the cultural spaces, or the Mémoires de Garrigue path, you can use the secure car parks on the left and right banks of the river.
Is Pont du Gard still used today?
Today, it remains the only example of a three-story antique bridge still standing, with three rows of arcades, one on top of the other: 6 arches on the bottom, 11 in the middle, and 35 on top.
Did slaves build the Pont du Gard?
Built with slave labour Around 500 workers were taken on to build the Pont du Gard, and the same number again for the rest of the aqueduct. Some were paid, but slaves were also used, not just for the manual labour but for skilled work such as shaping the stone.
What was the purpose of the Pont du Gard quizlet?
built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct – built mostly underground – took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge.
Can you walk across the Pont du Gard?
The Pont du Gard is in such good condition that it’s completely accessible for visitors to discover. You can walk across the bridge, and even go through the aqueduct itself!
Can you walk on the Pont du Gard?
The Pont du Gard site, nestled in the heart 165 ha of scrubland is the perfect place to walk, walk around and discover the many riches of this timeless place. It is a dive in a preserved fauna and flora and a protected historical heritage that we invite you to savor.
How much time do you need at Pont du Gard?
three and a half hours
Recent surveys have revealed that many visitors spend nearly three and a half hours at the Pont du Gard. This could easily extend to a full day if you go on a hike along the vestiges of the aqueduct or in the Gardon gorge, stop by the river for a picnic and swim or linger in the excellent museum.