Built without mortar, three tiers of arches carry a water channel across the gorge of the Gardon nearly fifty metres above the river, and the stones still fit together as if they had been placed last week. The Pont du Gard was one section of an aqueduct some fifty kilometres long that brought spring water from near Uzès to Roman Nîmes in the first century, with a total drop of only a few metres over the whole distance. It is a masterpiece of surveying as much as building, and it has stood through floods that have destroyed far younger bridges.
The setting is the lower valley of the Gardon, where the river leaves its gorges and runs between limestone banks shaded by holm oaks and pines. The villages of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Castillon-du-Gard and Remoulins are small, sun-baked and quiet away from the main roads. In summer the river below the bridge becomes a swimming spot, with people diving from the rocks and canoeists paddling down from Collias, and the water is cool and clear. The smell of the garrigue, thyme, rosemary and hot pine, hangs over everything.
Riding here is about the approach. The roads from Uzès and the hills of the garrigue wind through vineyards and olive groves with good surfaces and an easy rhythm. The Gardon gorge upstream is wild and beautiful, and the small roads around Collias and Sanilhac are worth exploring. The site itself has managed parking with a fee, a museum and paths along both banks, so plan to walk a little. In summer, come early to avoid the heat and the coaches; in spring and autumn, the light is softer and the crowds thinner. The mistral can make the approach roads gusty.
Remoulins has fuel and shops; for a bigger choice, Nîmes or Avignon are both within easy reach. Uzès, upstream, is one of the most beautiful small towns in the south, with a Saturday market and a ducal castle, and it makes a lovely detour for lunch. Bring water and a hat if you plan to walk, and take time to look at the stones themselves: the Roman builders left marks, numbers and even projecting blocks used to support the scaffolding. They knew it would last, but they probably did not imagine motorcycles parked nearby.