
The Gardon at Pont Saint-Nicolas
The 'Gardon' or 'Gard' (
Occitan and
French: ''Gardon, Gard'') is a
river in southern
France. It is the namesake of the
Gard ''
département''.
The Gardon is 133 km long including its longest tributary "Gardon de Saint-Jean". It rises in the
Cévennes and ends into the
Rhône River (right side tributary) at
Beaucaire, across from
Vallabrègues.
Several of its tributaries are also called ''Gardon''.
The
Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard and the 16th century
Pont Saint-Nicolas are two historical bridges that cross the Gardon. The
Gorge du Gardon, which ends at Pont Saint-Nicolas, is a popular recreation area for
kayaking,
canoeing,
rock climbing, and
hiking.
In September of 2002 and again in December of 2003, the Gardon had record level
floods that damaged many of its bridges including the Pont Saint-Nicolas, which has since been fully restored.
Places along the river
★
Lozère
★
Gard :
Anduze,
Saint-Jean-du-Gard ,
Saint-André-de-Valborgne,
Remoulins ,
Montfrin
La Grand-Combe and
Alès are situated on the "Gardon d'Alès", the major left tributary.