Most impressive and largest aqueduct at that time was undoubtedly the Pont du Gard in Provence, in southern France. It dates from Roman times – was built 2000 years ago. It is not only beneficial structure, but also an architectural gem. It can certainly be called wonder of the ancient world. This building has been preserved almost in working conditions until today.

Aqueduct transferred water from the Eure spring to the wells in Nimes (48 km). Noteworthy is that the height difference between spring and wells is only 17 m, which proves truly outstanding calculations of the whole system.

A part of the aqueduct is a huge, three-storey bridge over the river Gard, which is also the most interesting part. The bridge is 275 meters long, 49 meters high and at the highest part it is 3 meters wide. It consists of three rows of arches – the arcades. Blocks of stone are embedded into each other with millimeter accuracy while no fasteners were used.

At the time of the Roman Empire the city of Nimes had approximately 50 000 inhabitants. Aqueduct was able to supply about 400 liters of water daily for each person.

The bridge is now a major tourist attraction and one of the most visited monuments in France with more than 2 million tourists per year. In 1985 it was included in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can even stay in camping which is situated right bellow the Aqueduct.

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You can see about 40 species of fish with a total number of more than 500. Enjoy a walk through an underwater tunnel and rainforest. If you are tired you can rest at Piranha Cafe – where you can freshen up while observing predatory piranhas. There is also available a family sport area with a ricochet court, sauna and gym, which offers active relaxation in privacy with your family.

In Giant Aquarium you have a unique opportunity to see tropical nature of South and Central America. In the first part of the tour, called AVE NATURA, you can see the exhibition which currently consists of a unique collection of skulls of exotic fish.

In the second part of the tour you get to the tropical rainforest, where you can learn what it means to stay in the tropics – a combination of heat and 85-90% humidity. Here you can admire the beauty of plants such as orchids, Bromelia or Tillandsia in amazing shapes and color diversity and in more than 150 species and varieties. The impression is enhanced by occasional tropical rain and artificial fog.

After passing through the forest you get to the bottom of freshwater tropical ponds with the fish community of South and Central America. Besides the fish that you can know from your home aquarium, you will find real rarities here. The most species belong to the family Cichlidae. You can see here a big, up to 90 cm long fish of the Colossoma Serrasalmidae weighing up to 23 Kg.

The total volume of the exhibition tank is 130 000 liters of water, which means the mass of 130 tons and for your idea it is a weight of about 40 elephant females. The aquarium is 5 meters long and 8 meters wide. The great view from the bottom of the pool is allowed by the tunnel of acrylic glass with a thickness of 6.5 cm, specially imported far from Japan.

Every Thursday afternoon you can see the unique fish feeding with divers in the tank.

The Giant Aquarium is open all year round (except of Mondays) from 9:00 to 18:00 and the basic admission is 120CZK (€5).

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There are multiple buildings that are part of the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences. Each one of these are identified with a different type of aquatic environment. These environments include the Mediterranean, temperate, wetlands, tropical seas, Antarctica, Arctic, oceans, Islands as well as the Red Sea.

Dolphinarium L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

However, perhaps the biggest and most popular attraction in the L’ Oceanogràfic is that of the Dolphinarium. There are more than 24 million liters of water in the Dolphinarium which boasts gaps of more than 10 1/2 meters. There is also an underwater restaurant where one can sit down and eat while watching tens of thousands of fish swim all around. The Dolphinarium truly is a very unique eating experience the matter how you choose to look at.

Today, there are more than 500 different species of dolphins, walruses, belugas, sea lions, penguins, seals, sharks, turtles, rays, jellyfish, sawfish, starfish, crustaceans as well as sea urchins of all different kinds. All in all, there are more than 45,000 individual animals that call the L’ Oceanogràfic their home. Furthermore the aquarium is not just home to marine life, it is also home to a number of bird species who are crucial to ensuring that the ecosystem stay as strong as it can possibly be.

Aquarium, L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

It was back in 2003 when the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences first opened its doors to the public. Since that grand opening, more than 12 million people from all over the world have made their way to the aquarium in order to see the flora and fauna as well as to attend the numerous lectures and other activities that are continuously held on the campus by numerous scientific bodies from all over the world.

A lot of time and effort was put into the design and development of the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences to ensure that its architecture was of the latest, and most popular styles; and to ensure that any barriers within the aquarium were virtually invisible. There are countless faults, underground tunnels and tanks of all sizes that can be found throughout the park. It truly is an extraordinary destination which is home to one of the largest and most exotic biodiversed ecosystems on the planet.

Bird in L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

L’ Oceanogràfic is open all year round, opening hours depend on the season, and the basic admission is 27.90 €. For more information visit Official site of L’ Oceanogràfic

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