Gardon
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is the namesake of the Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
département. Several of its tributaries are also called Gardon.
The Gardon is 133 km long including its longest tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
"Gardon de Saint-Jean". It rises in the Cévennes
Cévennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was Latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna...
range of mountains and ends into the Rhône River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
(right-side tributary) at Comps
Comps, Gard
Comps is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, north of Beaucaire, across from Vallabrègues
Vallabrègues
Vallabrègues is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Geography:Vallabrègues is the only commune of the Gard department located on the left bank of the Rhône River...
.
Features
The Roman aqueductRoman aqueduct
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to serve any large city in their empire, as well as many small towns and industrial sites. The city of Rome had the largest concentration of aqueducts, with water being supplied by eleven aqueducts constructed over a period of about 500 years...
Pont du Gard
Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is a notable ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gard River in southern France. It is part of a long aqueduct that runs between Uzès and Nîmes in the South of France. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département...
and the 16th-century Pont Saint-Nicolas
Saint-Nicolas-de-Campagnac Bridge
The Saint-Nicolas-de-Campagnac Bridge is an arch bridge crossing the Gardon, and located near Sainte-Anastasie, in the Gard département of southern France.The bridge was built from 1245 to 1260....
are two historic bridges that cross the Gardon. The Gorge du Gardon, which ends at Pont Saint-Nicolas, is a popular recreation area for kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
.
The village of Collias
Collias
Collias is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, approximately 12 kilometers downriver from the Pont Saint-Nicolas, has several kayak and canoe rental agencies which will bus customers upriver to the Pont Saint-Nicolas (until the river level drops low in late June). Departing from Collias by kayak or canoe will bring you to the Pont du Gard in about an hour and one-half. It is possible to kayak or canoe under the Pont du Gard.
Floods
In September 2002 and again in December 2003, the Gardon had record level floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s that damaged many of its bridges including the Pont Saint-Nicolas, which has since been fully restored. The river today shows few signs of the floods.
Places along the river
- LozèreLozèreLozère , is a department in southeast France near the Massif Central, named after Mont Lozère.- History :Lozère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
- GardGardGard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
: AnduzeAnduzeAnduze is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Jean-du-GardSaint-Jean-du-GardSaint-Jean-du-Gard is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-History:This city of the Cévennes, first mentioned in a 12th century papal bull , was very much influenced by Protestantism in the 16th century and became the Mecca of the camisards' resistance.Thanks to the silk industry,...
, Saint-André-de-ValborgneSaint-André-de-ValborgneSaint-André-de-Valborgne is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, RemoulinsRemoulinsRemoulins is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.The Pont du Gard is located in nearby Vers-Pont-du-Gard.-Population:-External links:* *...
, MontfrinMontfrinMontfrin is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:The residents are called Montfrinois.-Geography:Montfrin is located between Nîmes and Avignon, from Pont du Gard...
La Grand-Combe
La Grand-Combe
La Grand-Combe is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Geography:The town lies on the opposite bank of the River Gardon d'Alès from Les Salles-du-Gardon. It is 13 km upstream and north of Alès in the Cevennes gardoises.-Etymology:...
and Alès
Alès
Alès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
are situated on the "Gardon d'Alès", the major left tributary.