Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Pont du Diable

Years ago, when I was hiking from Arles to Puente de Reina, I passed through here on my way to Saint-Guilhelm-de-Désert. It was really hot, and this lake, at the mouth of the Hérault Gorge, saved the day. The beach is a bit rocky, but the water is fantastic, and once you've crossed under the Pont du Diable (in the backdrop), you can swim quite far into the gorge against the current.

Years ago, when I was hiking from Arles to Puente de Reina, I passed through here on my way to Saint-Guilhelm-de-Désert. It was really hot, and this lake, at the mouth of the Hérault Gorge, saved the day. The beach is a bit rocky, but the water is fantastic, and once you've crossed under the Pont du Diable (in the backdrop), you can swim quite far into the gorge against the current.

The "Pont du Diable" spans over the Ardèche river in the village of Thueyts.

The distance between the abbey in Aniane and the abbey in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert may only be about 8kms, but you have to cross the Hérault river. So this bridge was constructed probably in the first half the 11th century, making this bridge to one of the oldest medieval bridges in France. It is an architectural masterpiece, and -not surprisingly- a legend grew, that this could only be done with the support of the devil. This bridge, that was in "full use" upto a new bridge was built in 1932, shares this legend with many other devil´s - bridges worldwide.