Gorges du Verdon

Les Gorges du Verdon or "Verdon Gorge" in English is one of the most famous gorges in the world. Its name derived from the Verdon River, which was named after the colour of the water: vert meaning green in French. It is located from the north in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence district and stretches to the south district of Var in south-eastern France. Europe has already deemed it to be one of the most beautiful, breath-taking places on the continent.

As well, it is Europe's deepest gorge. One of the reasons for it being considered a natural place of beauty is because of the turquoise-green colour of the river at the bottom of the gorge. The sediments in the water from eroded limestone as well as small plants allowed for the water to turn an interesting green. This is Gorges du Verdon's most distinguishing characteristics, one that captures many tourists in visiting, hiking, climbing, or kyaking across the clear, reflected water. At the end of the Verdon River, the water flows into the lake of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, or Lac de Sainte-Croix.

The Verdon Gorge was created by the Verdon River, which was named after the distinctive colour of the water. After the weathering and erosion of the limestone rock over geologic time, the result is this stunning gorge. This river canyon is approximately 25 km long and the height of the limestone rock walls reach up to 700 m. As the Verdon River cuts through the limestone rock, the width between the rocks ranged from as little as 6 m to 100 m! The top distance between the north and south rims vary from 200 m to 1500 m.

The sun rarely shines near the bottom of the gorge so the climate drops quite dramatically as travellers begin to hike downwards or begin to kyak in the river. Les Gorges du Verdon plays a large role in those who visit. Hikers can choose one of over 1500 routes to travel and some routes can take up to 3 days to walk through and many experienced rock-climbers enjoy the challenging feat of having to scale upwards 700 m. Nonetheless, whether tourists are willing to explore the gorge or not, it is still a beautiful view to behold. Many find Verdon Gorge to be a place of great physical challenge and exercise. There is bungee jumping, white-water rafting over the rapids, mountain biking, as well as paddle boating. Visitors resond enthusiastically, responding that their experience at Les Gorges du Verdon was full of exciting sport activities. For some, the Verdon Gorge means a learning opportunity. There are geological formations to discover and wondrous caves to lurk in. For those who live locally in the villages and towns of Castellane, Moustiers Sainte Marie, Rougon, and La Palud sur Verdon, it is a great opportunity of being able to have a local business and thriving with the consistent stream of visitors and travellers.