After the Marathon de Millau: The Viaduct and Peyre

The Route: Central Millau → Millau Viaduct visitor area → Peyre → Millau Logistics: A car is the practical option; the sites are a short drive south-west of town. Walking is limited to short paths and viewpoints. Marathon Month: September Duration: Day trip

Millau ──(≈10-15 min drive)──> Viaduct visitor area ──(short drive)──> Peyre ──> Millau

The Marathon de Millau runs north-east up the Tarn valley, and the Millau Viaduct lies the other way, south-west of town, where only the 100 km runners pass beneath it on their second loop. So a marathoner who wants to see the bridge has to make a separate trip, and the Sunday after the race is a good time: the drive is short, and the walking is gentle.

The Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct opened on 16 December 2004. It carries the A75 for 2,460 m across the Tarn valley, and the top of its highest pylon stands 343 m above the ground. Its visitor area, the Aire du Viaduc de Millau, can be reached both from the A75 and from Millau itself. It has viewpoints over the deck and the valley, and a free exhibition, the Viaduc Expo, set in an old causse farmhouse, with images and first-hand accounts from the bridge's construction.

Allow an hour or two. The paths are short, and the views do the rest.

Peyre

Peyre is a small village built into the cliff above the Tarn, a short drive downstream from the bridge, with houses and a church set against the rock face. It gives a view of the viaduct from below, from the valley floor. Walk its lanes slowly; there are steps, so take them at the pace the legs allow.

Getting Back

Millau is a few minutes' drive back up the valley. If you are moving on, the A75 north and south passes straight over the viaduct, which costs a toll, the only paid section of the motorway.