In Sernhac, tunnels with unusual purposes
FR - There are two of them, the Perrotte tunnel and the Cantarelles tunnels, 74 and 60 meters long respectively, dug into the limestone by the Romans during the 1st century.
by Corine Meyer
In fact, like the Pont du Gard, they are part of the aqueduct that carried water by gravity from the Eure fountain in Uzès to Nîmes. A real technical prowess considering that the aqueduct has a total length of 50 km and that the difference in altitude between the starting and finishing points is only 12.27 meters. A slope so gentle that it took the water about 1 and a half days to travel the entire route! In Sernhac, in order to avoid going around the hill, the Romans decided to dig into the rock and create these tunnels for the water to pass through!
Today, the site has been rehabilitated and the tunnels are easily accessible. To discover them, take a flashlight and look for traces of the builders: axe blows and holes for oil lamps. By observing carefully, you will also be able to see the readjustments in direction so that the workers, who were digging on either side of the tunnel, could join up. It must be said that they had a heavy specification because the work had to be completed in 2 months!
In addition, the site is located in a former quarry and has a significant heritage of dry stones, evidence of the work of men in the scrubland.
3 walking loops of 1 hour to 1 hour and a half each, marked with educational panels, invite you to discover this valley:
- "Au fil de l'eau" through the tunnels (Following the water)
- "Au fil du temps" botanical and discovery trail (Following the time)
- "Au fil des hommes" to explore the terraces and dry-stone structures (Following the men).
Access to the tunnels is from Sernhac, by the “chemin de l’aqueduc” (of course!) or, for a more strenuous hike (about 7km round trip, elevation, views, scrubland) from Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard.
The opportunity to admire this beautiful medieval village and its fortified Romanesque church from the 12th century. Enjoy your hike!
Ressources: Midilibre.fr, Sernhac, vallon des Escaunes et Cantarelles.