Millau Viaduct

Our major excursion today was to experience the most impressive viaduct at Millau which spans the Tarn Gorge. 

The inspiring Millau Viaduct from the northern side. 

But before we checked this out we had an early morning walk down the lane into Peyre, one of the Beaux Village of France. 

Peyre is situated 7 km downstream of Millau,

on the side of a colossal rock that dominates the right bank of the Tarn river.

The village is built against its tuf stone cliff full of caves. Most of the houses are troglodyte (houses built into the rock and used the caves as part of the home) as is the church of Romanesque origins and fortified in the 17th century. 

Its narrow flower lined stone streets remind you of Mediterranean villages and offer a welcome relief from the early morning heat.

It really was an exceptional and unusual site that provided superb views of the Millau viaduct, the perfect combination of old and new.

We returned to the van, had breakfast and then drove onto Millau. Not a lot to see here so we drove further south again to get another view of the viaduct. Here we met Vikki and David - just call us the Beckhams! - lovely people. 

Thanks Vikki for the  photo of us with David.  -  under the Millau Viaduct

The world is a small place. Vicki and David are from Stratford-Upon-Avon where we know only one couple, Helene’s cousin, and sure enough they know them well! 

Then we joined the motorway that led to the viaduct. 

Two and half kilometres of viaduct, sitting on top of the Tarn Valley. 

RECORD BREAKING VIADUCT (from Tourism Aveyron material)

Millau viaduct holds the world record for the tallest bridge, culminating at 343 metres (higher than the Eiffel tower), 2460 metres long and touching the bottom of the Tarn Valley in only 9 places.
Conceived by the French engineer Michel Virlogeux and designed by the English architect Lord Norman Foster, it fits perfectly into the naturally intact and grandiose landscape: a very thin slightly curved steel roadway supported by stays gives it the appearance of a huge yacht and the ensemble rests on 7 very slender pillars.

WHERE IS IT ? Millau viaduct constitutes the most spectacular link in the A75 motorway, linking Clermont-Ferrand with Béziers and Narbonne, which is the least congested and cheapest route between Paris and the Mediterranea.

Millau viaduct crosses the Tarn valley, a few hundred yards from Peyre, one of the "plus beaux villages de France" found in the département of the Aveyron. 

The viaduct was of great importance to the French community because it linked the Mediterranean coastal towns with the centre of France.

We later used the motorway to visit Sérérac-Le-Chateau for a late lunch, and then continued on to St Flour for the evening. 

St Flour as we viewed it late this afternoon.