Gard, Department in Occitania, France
Description
Gard is an administrative area in Occitania that stretches from the Mediterranean coast to the mountains of the Cévennes. The capital Nîmes sits in the flat southern half, while forested hills rise to the north.
History
The Romans built the Via Domitia through this area in the first century BC and established settlements like Nîmes. The Pont du Gard aqueduct was constructed around AD 50 to bring water to the growing city.
Culture
The name comes from the Gardon River, whose valleys people have inhabited for centuries. In the villages of the Cévennes, you can still hear Occitan spoken in conversations or at village festivals.
Practical
The climate in the south is mild and dry with hot summers, while the northern Cévennes offer cooler and wetter conditions. Spring and autumn work well for walks in the hills when the heat subsides.
Did you know?
On Mont Aigoual at around 5150 feet (1567 meters), a weather station has recorded rainfall and winds since the 19th century. Sometimes this peak ranks among the wettest places in all of France.
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Pont du Gard
41.5 km
Chauvet Cave
39.3 km
Pont Saint-Bénézet
61 km
Amphitheater of Nîmes
39.5 km
Palais des Papes
61.3 km
Lac du Salagou
77.5 km
Mont Aigoual
40 km
Roman Theatre of Orange
58.1 km
Maison Carrée
39 km
Pic Saint-Loup
44.5 km
Arles Amphitheatre
66.7 km
Cirque de Navacelles
52.7 km
Cévennes National Park
55 km
Via Domitia
46.1 km
Stade de la Mosson
60.5 km
Pont du Diable, Hérault
62.9 km
Carrières des Lumières
71.2 km
Gorges de l'Ardèche
40.2 km
Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier
59.7 km
Magne Tower
38.3 km
Carrières de Lumières
71.2 km
Church of St. Trophime, Arles
66.7 km
La Ferme aux crocodiles
55.8 km
The Alyscamps
67.6 km
Seaquarium du Grau-du-Roi
67.1 km
Gallo-Roman theatre at Arles
66.8 km
Forteresse de Mornas
52.4 km
Glanum
71.9 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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