Le Passage du Gois is a natural, periodically flooded passage that leads to the beautiful island of Noirmoutier in France. The European country is famous for its beautiful beaches, mountains, architecture, and culture. Here in Passage du Gois, there is a fascinating road that is truly unique, a hidden treasure, and a national monument of France.
The beauty of Le Passage du Gois is that the path is flooded twice a day by high tide. It is located between Île de Noirmoutier and Beauvoir-sur-Mer, in the department of Vendée. The track is 2.5 miles long. Every year, a foot race—the Foulées du Gois—is held across it, starting at the onset of the high tide. This beautiful road in France is only accessible during the low tide and only 1 ½ hour before the tide and 1 ½ hour afterward.
Tourist Spot
This stunning occurrence gathers thousands of visitors each year to see the “miracle”, while several are busy collecting clams and oysters. Due to flooded water, the road conditions deteriorated and were paved many times. If you go there, then you should be very careful when observing the disappearance of the road, as the water level reaches more than 15 feet. However, safety signboards are displayed on both sides of the passage. Whenever you go to France, then Le Passage du Gois is a must-see lifetime experience. Indeed, this causeway is so distinctive that you cannot encounter it anywhere else in the world.
History of Le Passage du Gois
In the 9th century, Passage du Gois was first mentioned. However, in 1701, it appeared on the map. People faced a lot of difficulties in the 18th century, and they went on foot over the sand banks to the island of Noirmoutier. Eventually, an official road was constructed in 1832. Its importance was made secondary when a bridge was built between the mainland and Noirmoutier in 1971.
Tour de France
According to Wikipedia the famous Tour de France bicycle race was held during stage 2 in Passage du Gois. Therefore, the bicycles face a lot of difficulties on the slippery surface. A fall took place, and the crash created a 6-minute split in the peloton, which ended the hopes of several bicycles to win the race, like Alex Zulle. Who would eventually finish second overall, seven minutes after Lance Armstrong? After 12 years, the Passage du Gois was again used as the starting point of the first stage.
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