Editing Pont d'Arc (section)

{{Short description|Geological formation in France}}
[[File:Pont d'Arc arch.JPG|thumb|250px|The Pont d'Arc]]

The '''Pont d'Arc''' ([[French language|French]] ''pont'' = bridge) is a large [[natural arch|natural bridge]], located in the [[Ardèche]] ''[[departments of France|département]]'' in the south of [[France]], 5&nbsp;km from the town of [[Vallon-Pont-d'Arc]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.showcaves.com/english/fr/caves/PontDArc.html|title=Caves of France: Pont d'Arc|last=Duckeck|first=Jochen|website=www.showcaves.com|access-date=2017-07-22}}</ref>

The arch, formed when the river [[Ardèche (river)|Ardèche]] broke through a narrow escarpment between its [[meander]], is {{Convert|59|m}} wide and {{Convert|34|m|abbr=on}} high at the top of the opening.<ref name="readersnatural">{{Cite book|title=Natural Wonders of the World|publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc|year=1980|isbn=0-89577-087-3|editor-last=Scheffel|editor-first=Richard L.|location=United States of America|pages=299|editor-last2=Wernet|editor-first2=Susan J.}}</ref> It is a very popular [[canoeing]] and [[kayaking]] area and is heavily visited by tourists. It is usually described as the natural entrance to the Ardèche Canyon.<ref name="readersnatural" />

In the near vicinity of the arch is the [[Chauvet cave|Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave]], containing one of the earliest known Paleolithic cave paintings, about 30,000 years old (featured in the 3D documentary ''[[Cave of Forgotten Dreams]]'' by film director [[Werner Herzog]]).