A trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower is on every Paris tourist's wishlist, but the view from the Millau viaduct, the world's highest road bridge since 2004, is every bit as impressive.
The viaduct is an engineering marvel, completed in three years, and a month ahead of schedule. It was designed to relieve congestion along the route from Paris to Spain but, ironically, has become a destination in its own right.
Some visitors detour for miles to see it, or drive over it twice despite the toll. Such a behemoth could easily have been an eyesore but its elegant white columns and sail-like cables, designed by the British architect Norman Foster, spur thoughts of a flotilla of tall ships on a cushion of air high above the Tarn river.
It's the stuff of dreams, a scene from a science-fiction film come to life, and a perfect marriage of art and function. Seen from afar, the viaduct has a simple beauty. But as you drive over, and the diagonal cables strobe past, it takes on a new life. Some travellers report having been so overcome that they have wept.
But don't forget to turn your head as you drive, for the views over the Tarn valley are superb. Millau, over 270m below, looks like a toy town. It's worth taking a detour into the town to look up at the bridge, or touring the Viaduc Espace Info visitor centre at the base.
At the Viaduc Expo at the northern end you can see models of the other four shortlisted designs, all distinctly underwhelming compared with this vision in concrete and steel that was the locals' clear choice. Here you can eat in what must be one of the world's best motorway cafes: the Viaduc Expo's cafe is owned by Michel Bras, a local chef who has three Michelin stars for his restaurant in nearby Laguiole.
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/midi-pyrenees-millau
