The Pont du Gard is a notable ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gard River in southern France. It is part of a 31 mile long aqueduct that runs between Uzès and Nîmes in the South of France. It is located near Remoulins, not far from St Remy where we are staying. The aqueduct was constructed by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges 160 ft high, and formerly carried an estimated 44 million gallons of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. The aqueduct descends in height by only 56 ft over its entire length, while the bridge itself descends by a mere 2.5 cm, indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. It was possibly used until as late as the 9th century, well after the fall of Rome. However, lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water.

Mindy & I hiking to the top

View from the top