Viaduc de Mirandol

The Mirandol Viaduct is a railway bridge made of stone that crosses a valley in the Cevennes region. It uses multiple arches to span the landscape and was built to carry trains across the Chassezac River valley and the road below.

This bridge was completed in 1902 as part of a railway line connecting Monastier to La Bastide-Saint-Laurent-les-Bains. The line was built to bring rail transport into this remote mountainous area.

The viaduct shows how railway engineers solved problems in steep mountain terrain when the region was being connected to the rest of France. Walking around it, you see the skill of stone construction and the scale of what was needed to cross this landscape.

You can view the viaduct best from the valley road or from walking paths that lead into the area below. The most impressive view of the entire structure comes from below, where you can see all the arches and the full height.

The viaduct includes snow galleries at both ends, a detail added to protect the railway tracks during harsh winters. These enclosed passages show how engineers designed the bridge specifically for the severe mountain weather conditions.