The Langeais bridge, a tormented history!
The story begins in 1848, the year in which King Louis-Philippe authorized the construction of a bridge "made of wire", as it was called at the time. Yes, but here we are, wires make excellent lightning rods! And, 10 years after its opening in 1849, a big storm... the lightning... the apron, and the suspension elements fall into the Loire!
Never mind... in 1861, just two years after the disaster, the bridge, repaired, is operational again (with toll!). And two!
But shortly afterwards, in 1870, there was war, and the progress of the Prussian enemy had to be delayed. Boom! Boom! Despite local protests, the army blows it up! And three!
The fourth was completed in 1814 but here comes the arrival of... the automobile! They're heavy, passing through and back again! It must therefore be massively restructured so that it can bear the weight of modernity. This was done in the 1930s, and the bridge was decorated with its distinctive Gothic piers, which reflect the castle's Gothic style, both mirroring each other. And four!
Everything is fine, everything is fine... but June 40 is coming. And it is the Germans, this time, who must be stopped. Boom! Boom!
After using a ferryboat, then a temporary footbridge, the inhabitants waited until 1949 to have a bridge over the Loire, the only bridge in 45 kilometres, between Tours and Port Boulet, a bridge of great beauty. And five!
Pont de Langeais: dream on the shore....
On the Langeais side, it is strongly recommended to walk along the Loire bank, on both sides of the bridge. On the upstream side, you will discover large areas offering tranquility to campers. On the downstream side, you will admire the powerful eddies of the Loire, formed by its passage over the boulders under the bridge.
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