Pont du Gard: a three-tier Roman aqueduct above the Gardon

Pont du Gard near Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France is a three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge whose massive stone arches still stride across the Gardon River.

Pont du Gard, on the edge of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France, is a vast Roman aqueduct bridge whose stone arches stride across the Gardon River in three superimposed tiers. Built in the first century AD as part of the aqueduct supplying the Roman colony of Nemausus, now Nîmes, it survives as one of the most complete Roman hydraulic structures in Europe and has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

A three-storey bridge in golden limestone

Pont du Gard is the monumental river crossing of an aqueduct of about 50 km (31 miles) that once carried water from a spring near Uzès to Nîmes.The aqueduct reached roughly 50 km in length and Pont du Gard forms its tallest and most spectacular section.The bridge carried this channel across the Gardon valley

The bridge rises to nearly 49 m (around 160 ft) above the river, stacked in three levels of arches built from local limestone blocks.Its three tiers carry six arches on the lowest level, eleven on the middle level and a longer arcaded run on top so that the overall structure stretches for more than 270 m (885 ft) along the riverbank.Detailed measurements place its height at about 48.77 m

Roman engineering in the first century AD

The aqueduct including Pont du Gard was built in the first century AD under the Roman Empire, during the early imperial period when Nîmes flourished as the colony of Nemausus.The structure is described as a first-century Roman aqueduct bridge and evidence places its construction around the middle of that century.UNESCO dates the 50.02 km aqueduct to the middle of the first century

Roman engineers gave the water channel a very slight gradient across its full course, using precisely cut stone blocks and lime mortar where needed to maintain a gentle fall between the source and Nîmes.The overall slope is described as about 25 cm per kilometre which kept the water flowing by gravity without large drops. For several centuries this system delivered large volumes of fresh water to the city, supporting baths, fountains and other urban amenities typical of a prosperous Roman settlement.

A World Heritage landscape on the Gardon

Pont du Gard stands in the Gard department of the Occitanie region, spanning the Gardon River in a rocky valley dotted with scrub and Mediterranean vegetation. The bridge is part of a wider protected site that includes the riverbanks, surrounding hills and traces of the aqueduct channel on either side.The World Heritage property covers the bridge and adjacent segments of the aqueduct

In 1985 Pont du Gard was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its combination of technical achievement and state of preservation as a Roman aqueduct bridge.The UNESCO inscription recognises it as a masterpiece of human creative genius and an outstanding example of Roman aqueduct construction Since then the wider site around the monument has been arranged to showcase the bridge within its landscape of river, cliffs and Mediterranean woodland.

Visiting Pont du Gard: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Pont du Gard lies in southern France’s Occitanie region, between Nîmes and Avignon, near the village of Vers-Pont-du-Gard. It is reached by road from both cities.
• The monument stands in a river valley, with paths on both banks and approaches that include gentle slopes and some stone steps.
• The official language is French and the currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Pont du Gard

Where is Pont du Gard and what is it?

Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct bridge crossing the Gardon River near Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France, built as part of the aqueduct that supplied Nîmes.

What should visitors expect when they arrive?

Visitors encounter a three-tier stone bridge rising nearly 49 m above a river valley, with walking routes on both banks that give changing views of its arches.

What makes Pont du Gard distinctive among Roman remains?

Its height, three superimposed tiers of arches and state of preservation as part of a long-distance aqueduct make Pont du Gard one of the most striking Roman bridges in France.