Pont Peirent

Pont Peirent is a 16th-century stone bridge in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, spanning the gorge of the Guiers Mort river in the Chartreuse massif. For five centuries this modest yet striking structure has connected the valley to the Grande Chartreuse monastery, and it remains one of the most photographed spots along the Gorges du Guiers Mort trail.

What is this bridge, and why was it built?

Pont Peirent (also called Pont Pérant) was raised in the 16th century from blocks of pale limestone. It measures 15 metres in length and stands 14 metres above the riverbed. The bridge was never built with visitors in mind — it served the Carthusian monks and the valley's inhabitants, who needed to move people and goods across the steep gorge between the surrounding settlements and the Grande Chartreuse monastery, tucked higher in the mountains. Since 1923 the bridge has been listed as a monument historique, a status that reflects its place as one of the best-preserved surviving pieces of the region's old mountain infrastructure.

How do you reach the bridge, and what else is along the way?

The bridge sits on a footpath running through the Gorges du Guiers Mort toward the Pic de l'Oeillette. The route starts at the Pont Saint-Bruno and is lined with roughly ten interpretive panels tracing the heritage of the Carthusian order — the monks who, arriving in 1084 with Saint Bruno and six companions, shaped this valley's landscape and worked its resources for nearly nine centuries. The path down to Pont Peirent runs along a narrow track hugging the gorge's rock walls, and the bridge itself makes a natural turning point or rest stop on a longer loop.

Just downstream stands a stone staircase cut into the rock above the riverbed, built by the Touring Club de France to ease passage where the bank grows especially steep. Nearby stands a second historic bridge from the same era, Pont de la Petite Vache, also listed as a monument historique since 1923, and hikers along the trail pass three footbridges once built by local fishermen, propped on boulders jutting from the rock.

What's notable about the gorge itself?

The Gorges du Guiers Mort form a narrow, roughly 2-kilometre canyon flanked by rock walls reaching up to 300 metres high. It's one of the most visited spots in the Chartreuse range, drawing more than 100,000 hikers a year — pulled in by the cool shade of the gorge in summer and by the "marmites du diable" (devil's cauldrons), deep hollows carved into the rock by the swirling water and the stones it carries along.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Pont Peirent? The bridge dates from the 16th century and was built from blocks of white limestone. It has been listed as a French historic monument since 1923.

What are its dimensions? Pont Peirent is 15 metres long and rises 14 metres above the Guiers Mort river.

Where does the trail to the bridge start? The hike begins at the Pont Saint-Bruno in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont and follows the Gorges du Guiers Mort toward the Pic de l'Oeillette, passing panels dedicated to the history of the Carthusian monks.

Are there other historic bridges nearby? Yes, the Pont de la Petite Vache stands close by — a bridge from the same era, also protected as a monument historique since 1923.