The best road cycling routes around Saint-Victor-Et-Melvieu

Built between 1818 and 1821, the Lerouge bridge became one of the main structures for crossing the Tarn in Millau. It replaced the Pont Vieux, several arches of which had been destroyed by a flood in 1758, leaving the town without a permanent bridge for over sixty years. During this long period, crossing the Tarn was mainly done by ferry. The project was launched on the initiative of the prefect of Aveyron, d’Estourmel. The plans were drawn up by Pierre-Jacques Le Rouge, an engineer for the district. The first stone was laid on June 20, 1818, and the bridge was opened to traffic in January 1821. Its name therefore comes from its designer, not from the color of its stones. A curious detail: its construction was largely financed by private individuals, and a toll was collected until 1875. This tax even caused tensions with the inhabitants of Creissels, some of whom continued to cross the Tarn on foot or by boat to avoid paying it.

From this point at the foot of the structure, the regular succession of piers and guyed pylons can be particularly well distinguished. The deck, 2,460 m long, crosses the valley at a height of approximately 270 m above the Tarn. Pier P2, the tallest, culminates at 245 m, while the assembly formed by the pier and its pylon reaches 343 m: a height greater than that of the Eiffel Tower. This perspective also recalls the technical feat that the construction of the viaduct represented. The metal deck was assembled in sections from either side of the valley, then progressively launched across the void. The joining of the two parts was carried out on May 28, 2004, 268 m above the Tarn, before the official inauguration a few months later. An interesting detail can be discerned here: despite its exceptional dimensions, the structure appears remarkably light. This impression is not accidental. The viaduct was specifically designed to blend into the valley by limiting the visual impact of its structure, with a very slender deck and piers that branch out in a "Y" shape.

Absolutely worth seeing - view it from below and definitely join the architecture tour.

Commissioned in 1929, the Pinet dam is a 175-meter-long and 41-meter-high concrete gravity dam. Its reservoir of over 10 million m³ forms the Lac de Pinet, a narrow but spectacular body of water stretching for 12 kilometers at the bottom of deep gorges, while its power station produces around 105 GWh of electricity per year.

The Raspes du Tarn, from the Occitan "raspar" (grated), are gorges set in schist, covered with chestnut trees, white oaks, broom, and heather. Wild due to their relief but tamed by several hydroelectric dams, they offer an unusual landscape, dotted with waterfalls and old perched villages like Peyre or Saint-Rome-de-Tarn, which can be discovered by cruise, on foot, or from the roads overlooking the valley.

Classified among "The Most Beautiful Villages of France", Peyre stands on the right bank of the Tarn, leaning against the cliff of Causse Rouge, and is distinguished by its light-colored stone troglodyte houses, carved into the tuff rock, offering a breathtaking view of the famous Millau Viaduct.

Beautiful walks to do along the Tarn.

The view is truly magnificent! It's very localized, but here we have a gap in the trees that offers a magnificent view of the Tarn valley!