6 hikes to go from the Pont du Gard

Want to discover the site that welcomes one of the greatest masterpieces of humanity? So come and discover the most beautiful hikes from the Pont du Gard and around!

If you are passing through the south-east of France, and especially in the Gard, there is an immanquable not to miss: the Pont du Gard. Majestic, imposing, and beautifully preserved, this aqueduct, classified by Unesco, is a true architectural wonder.

After watching him in all his seams, take a tour of the museum that tells his story. Then we suggest you walk on the paths that are swaying its surroundings. Indeed, the beautiful and typical country around her, will delight walkers and nature lovers.

Follow us, we help you escape, thanks to 6 hiking ideas from the Pont du Gard or around!

Small security reminder

Hiking from the Gard Bridge is accessible at all levels. But small simple and important rules are to be noted:

• Good equipment avoid any injuries and will make your hiking pleasant: walking shoes and comfortable and season-friendly outfit are essential;
• Always weather before embarking on a hike;
• Plan a small medical kit containing the strict necessary (pansements and disinfectant)
• Well think about it charge her phone before leaving, in case of emergency, but also to capture the most beautiful landscapes;
• In the Gard, he can do very hotEspecially in the summer! So it is 1 litre of minimum water per person in the backpack. Not to mention cap, sunglasses and sunscreen;
• Always choose hikes at your level, to avoid accidents and to take maximum pleasure.

That's it, you're looking for your hike from the Pont du Gard!

1. Hiking from the Pont du Gard

Les Berges du Gardon To Pont du Gard

If you are looking for a hike from the Pont du Gard, this is it! This pretty loop from the parking lot of the site begins with a descent to the banks of the Gardon. You will follow them for about 2 kilometers, then fork in the land, in the middle of a vegetation where the smell of thyme and rosemary is omnipresent.

You will discover on your way the old chapel of Saint-Pierre, and the remains of the Aqueduct de Nimes and Pont Roupt. Not to mention magnificent views, directly overlooking the Pont du Gard.

On the other hand, pay attention to this hike from the Pont du Gard, there is no signage! You will need to follow the GPS trace you can download here .

Aqueduct trail

The aqueduct trail is a small hike from the Pont du Gard, easy to discover the aqueduct, along its path. Many viewers are on the way, for views of the bridge all different, and always more beautiful.

On the course you will discover the Pont Rou and the series of arches of “Valive”, with a total length of 310 m. There are 50 in total!

During this ballad, you will be plunged into the heart of a nature of garrigue, shaped with green oaks and dry stone walls, so typical of the Gard region.

Accessible to everyone and without great difficulty, this hike from the Pont du Gard is ideal to make with family in the morning, followed by a picnic on the banks of the gardon.

Mémoires de Garrigue – Parcours de découverte

Here, it is rather an open-air discovery journey. This small hike from the Pont du Gard will make you discover the history of this incredible site, through several landscapes. An orientation table and a viewpoint will allow you to spot, and enjoy an incredible view!

The departure is located on the left bank, 200 metres from the Pont du Gard. You can, if you wish, buy the small guide booklet that costs 5€, directly at the monument shop.

2. Hiking around the Pont du Gard

The Hermitage of Collias

Do you want to find a small hike around the Pont du Gard, easy and pleasant to do with your family? So don’t hesitate anymore, and leave for a nice moment to discover the site of the Hermitage of Collias.

By following the yellow signage from the parking lot of the village of Collias, you will first follow the Gardon. Then you will arrive on a nice trail in the middle of green oaks and buis, so typical in the region. You will cross on your path, many stone crosses, or crossroads, which at the time served to guide the travellers.

You will finally arrive on the Ermitage site, which houses several caves (closed or inaccessible), but above all the remains of the Notre-Dame Chapel of Laval. A tip, don't miss the view of the valley from the cross, at the top of the site!

This hike around the Pont du Gard is a loop. As a result, the return will be made by another path than that from which you arrived, for even more discovery.

The Pont du Gard by the GR6

The hiking trail 6, rallie Arcachon en Gironde in Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence , on a total distance of 1 367 kilometers. The part of the GR that passes through the Gard is magnificent. It extends over 160 km and allows to travel the Cevennes and the Gardon Valley.

It is therefore of course possible for you to choose the right distance and to hike for several days! But if you have one day in front of you, we advise you to take a small part, not least. This hike around the Pont du Gard will make you discover this fabulous building.

For this, you will leave the small village of Saint Bonnet-du-Gard. You will cross fields of vineyards and olive trees, the Gardon river by small bridges, and you will even pass under an arch of the Pont. On many points of the trail, you can contemplate the remains of the aqueduct from different angles, but still magnificent.

GR trails are usually very well marked, in red and white, and this hike does not escape the rule. In places, you should know that the trails are pretty scary, so good walking shoes are rigged!

The tunnels of Sernhac

Discover the Sernhac tunnels thanks to this hike around the Gard Bridge, easy, less than 6 km. These tunnels are certainly less famous than the Pont du Gard itself, but they were part of the architecture of this aqueduct, 52 kilometers long. These are actually galleries dug into the rock by the Romans during the construction of the aqueduct, so as not to have to bypass the hill. Bad!

Today, only two are accessible to the general public, which you will discover during this hike: the Perrotte tunnel and the Cantarelles tunnel. Lower your head well and enter these antique galleries. If you are attentive and armed with a flashlight, you can observe on the walls, some horizontal marks, testimonies of the past and the use of certain tools.

Amazing views of the Gard region are available to you throughout the course. The departure is located in Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard. The opportunity to visit, at the start or at the finish, this beautiful medieval village and its imposing 9th century fortified church.

Heat your most comfortable walking shoes, veil your cap on your head, and go to the discovery of the most beautiful hikes around the Pont du Gard!