Verdon Canyon
According to the inhabitants of the village, the «Gorges du Verdon» 's canyon have had a very bad reputation for a long-time. It used to be called " the step of the devil ", and very few people dared to venture into these austere territories, strewn with chasms and abysses.
|
 |
 |
The Verdon is a river filled with streams that comes from the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. After 200 kilometres, it throws itself into the Durance. After Castellane, the Verdon crosses many profound gorges, over approximately twenty kilometres. This river with its green shade, interrupted by rapids, has sculptured these huge gashes in the rocks. Its ledges, such as the Clue de Chasteuil or the grand canyon of Rougon, are unique sites in Europe where the depth of the river bed is 1000 metres.
This wild natural setting gives the area a special beauty, especially with the Cavaliers cliffs or the Balcons de la Mescla. It was only during the Belle Époque period that the Gorges of Verdon started to attract visitors because of the rehabilitation action of Isidore Blanc, an inhabitant of Rougon, and the speleologist Matel, who left his name to a walk that will allow you to discover the gorges. Ever since, various developments have taken place that has preserved the beauty of the site. Reservoirs were built in Salles and Saint Croix.
Today, the area can be visited on foot or by canoe, up unto the point where the Verdon leaves the canyon at Gréoux-les-Bains. Gréoux-les-Bains is a spa that has been known since Rome antiquity. |
|
|
