Pont-Vieux, Medieval bridge in Carcassonne, France
Pont-Vieux crosses the Aude River using twelve stone arches that span about 225 meters between the lower town and the medieval fortress. The varying sizes of the arches show how builders adapted to water flow, and visible repairs reveal the work needed to keep the crossing functional.
The bridge was built in 1320 and replaced an earlier wooden crossing that had connected the two parts of the city. Over the centuries, various damage required different repairs and strengthening work to keep it functioning as a vital link between the districts.
The bridge links two distinct districts with different characters and serves as the main crossing point where locals and travelers meet daily. Walking across it connects the modern lower town with the medieval quarter in a way that reveals how both parts depend on each other.
The bridge is open only to pedestrians and serves as the main route between the residential area and the medieval quarter. The surface can be uneven in places, and crossing is less crowded early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
In the past, some arches of the bridge collapsed and had to be rebuilt, revealing how powerfully water can reshape stone over time. These rebuildings show how the structure had to adapt to the river's changing forces.
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