Pont du Gard

An ancient Roman aqueduct bridge over the Gardon in the Gard department. Built in the first century AD to carry water to Nîmes, it was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1985.

The Pont du Gard crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Romans built it in the first century AD as part of an aqueduct that carried water more than 50 km from near Uzès to the colony of Nemausus, today’s Nîmes. The aqueduct is thought to have gone out of use in the early sixth century.

Rising in three tiers of arches, it is the tallest known Roman aqueduct bridge and one of the best preserved. In the Middle Ages it also served as a road bridge, and a separate road bridge was built against it in the 1740s. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1985.