Issue No. 18

© T.Lambelin
A glimpse of the future at
the Millau Viaduct
The river and gorges of the Tarn are well
known enough and undoubtedly it’s worth
losing yourself for a while here in what is the
deepest canyon in France, while you
recover from the excesses of Villefranche.
But this really is a place where the vastness
of nature meets the enormity of human
creation and if the Pont du Gard transports
you back to the time of the Romans, I’m not
quite sure where Norman Foster’s Millau
Viaduct will take you.
Higher than the Eiffel Tower, 270 metres
above the ground, it is the highest road
bridge deck and the longest suspension
bridge in the world, straddling the Tarn valley
and has been described as one of the
greatest engineering achievements of all
time.
Don’t rush the experience, it’s one of those
places that you just have to reflect on for a
while. North of the bridge is a service station
area created out of old farm buildings with a
great viewing platform which is best enjoyed
at dawn or dusk.