Photo by Wolfgang Staudt Did you know that one of France’s top five tourist attractions is located in the South of France? It’s called the Pont du Gard, and it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Both the Pont du Gard and the surrounding countryside are absolutely stunning - and New York Habitat highly recommends putting the area on your “must see” list for your next vacation in the South of France. If you’ve never heard of it before, the Pont du Gard is the masterpiece of the ancient Roman aqueducts that wound its way through the region. A recent redevelopment project has made the Pont du Gard site easily accessible from the highway while appearing to be a hidden oasis now that it has been closed to vehicle traffic. Spend the day touring the museum and the Pont itself, either on your own or with a guide; pack a picnic and dine on the banks or the Gard river; or, bring your swim trunks and cool off with an afternoon dip! You might see many names and other markings etched into the massive stones of the structure. That’s not vandalism; instead, it’s a tradition that has been a part of the Compagnons du Tour de France, a yearly tour given by and for masons from around the world who come to marvel at the construction, which was performed without the use of any mortar. If you look closely, you can even see etchings from the original builders, who labeled each stone so they were put in their correct positions. This unique structure has survived two millennia and countless natural disasters, including a major flood in 1998. To read more: Pont du Gard: Roman Aqueducts in the South of FranceVideo about Pont du GardThe Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels -- the longest measuring 275 m -- created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece.
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