Hiking The old bridge

The short hike of the Pont Vieux allows you to discover a rich historical and natural heritage in a few kilometers.

HISTORICAL HERITAGE
The Castle - XVIIth century - Private, visible only from the outside.
2, place de la Révolution
Residence of the lords of Saint-Jean, the current castle, burned by the royal troops in 1560, was immediately rebuilt and enlarged in the 17th century. Witness of a secular history, the castle lived in the heart of the wars of religion which marked the Cevennes. Its prisons sheltered many prisoners.

The Old Bridge - 18th century
Place Augustine Soubeiran (former place Carnot)
The Old Bridge is a superb work of art with six arches, built in the shape of a humpback and classified as a historical monument. Built in 1733 on the road to Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, it is an important road. This bridge was a victim of the whims of the Gardon and suffered many damages. In 1742, it was replaced by a wooden bridge. This one, finally rendered unusable, had to be replaced by a stone bridge, re-established in 1755. The important flood of 1958 washed away the bridge once again, which was then reproduced identically in 1961.

The Clock Tower - 12th century
Market place
Classified as a historical monument, the clock tower is the last vestige of the Romanesque church built by the Benedictines of Saint-Gilles. During the religious war, the village was plundered and the castle burned down by the royal troops. In retaliation, the inhabitants ransacked and destroyed the church as well as the priory buildings, except for the bell tower. Raised in the 15th century, it was endowed with a bell in its wrought iron campanile, in 1520, and represents today the clock tower.

The Temple - XIXth century
Augustine Soubeiran Square (former Carnot Square)
After the destruction of the first temple in 1562, it was not until April 1827 that St Jean du Gard had a new temple in the village. It is of neo-classical style, and was built on the plans of an architect from Alès, Mr. Renoux.
It is classified since 2019 in the inventory of historical monuments. It is a building that has been completely restored in its juice in 2016 and 2017.

Maison Rouge - XIXth century
Street of the industry
At the end of the 18th century, a first spinning mill was built in brick and composed of 26 basins. The large bays are characteristic of the spinning mills where maximum lighting was required. In 1838, another spinning mill was built as an extension of the first one, with 100 basins. This one, equipped with Japanese material, was the last silk spinning mill in function in France. It closed in 1965.
After some work, the Cévennes Valleys Museum opened in 2017. It provides the keys to understanding the culture and identity of the Cévennes by promoting the material and immaterial heritage through very rich ethnographic and historical collections from the 12th century to the present day (Admission fee).

The station - XIXth century
Station square
On July 11, 1881, the railroad line to Anduze was inaugurated. A project to extend the line to Saint-Jean-du-Gard was born, supported by the people of Anduze as well as the mayor and spinner of the village, René Boudon. The argument linked to the silk crisis was put forward, and finally the work began in 1905. Inaugurated on May 26, 1909, the railroad line between Anduze and Saint- Jean-du-Gard will have only a short career. From 1940 on, transportation was provided by buses. Goods traffic continued on the line until 1960. The latter closed in 1971.
Since 1982, the activity of the line has been revived by Le Train à Vapeur des Cévennes thanks to summer tourist circulations and the Vélo Rail des Cévennes.

To complete your hike : ask for the map of St Jean du Gard with the history at the Tourist Office of St Jean du Gard.


NATURAL HERITAGE
The wetlands and waterways are representative of our valleys and host species of community interest: otter, beaver, white-footed crayfish, dragonflies, fish... During this hike, you will be able to observe several species of fish in the Gardon: Blageon, Barbeau méridional, Chabot commun and toxostome.
On the Natura 2000 site, for the Southern barb, the conservation stake is very strong. It breeds on gravel banks, between May and July and sometimes in the autumn. It is therefore essential to avoid trampling in the bed of the Gardon during this period and not to create barriers in the watercourse because the spawners can migrate to more favorable spawning areas.

Accessible from 5/6 years old

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