Pont du Diable
The Devil's Bridge in the heart of the Hérault Gorges ...
At the entrance to the Hérault gorges, at a place called "black chasm", the old Roman bridge spans the Hérault river at its narrowest point.
15 meters high and 50 m long, it has two main semicircular arches and two secondary openings, the gills, intended to facilitate the flow of water in times of flooding.
It was built between 1028 and 1031, by the two close abbeys of Aniane and Gellone, who jealously controlled both banks of the river.
Considered one of the oldest medieval bridges in France, it has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as part of the Way of Saint Jacques de Compostela in France since 1998.
Today it is an ideal place to meet up with family or friends, and during sunny days, you can swim at the supervised beach at Pont du Diable or explore the Hérault gorges by canoe.
Supervised swimming every day from July 1 to August 31, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Canoe and paddle rental with Les Canoes du Pont du Diable from mid-June to mid-September.
The legend of the Devil's Bridge
The construction of the bridge proved long and difficult, with the Devil ruining the work done during the day every night.
This is how Guilhem made an agreement with the Devil: the latter would build the bridge himself in three days!
In return, Guilhem would offer him the soul of the first creature to cross the bridge. Seduced, Satan set to work and the bridge could be completed. There was still a poor soul to find ... Guilhem made a dog cross ...
Destroyed by so much cunning, the Devil tried in vain to destroy his work.
Out of spite, he threw himself into the waters of the Hérault, digging the "black chasm" in his fall.
This is how in the Middle Ages, pilgrims and passing people who used the bridge always threw a few pebbles into the river with the hope of leaving the Devil behind.
