Gorges of the Verdon

In France, the Gorges of the Verdon are a Canyon dug by the river the Verdon.

History

For the period of the Sorted, the Provence subsides and the sea recovers it, depositor of thick various layers of Calcaire S. For the Jurassic period , the Provence is covered with a Mer hot and not very deep, facilitating the multiplication of the corals. With the Cretaceous , Low Provence is raised and the sea reached the current site of the the Alps. The era Tertiaire sees the construction of the Alps. The fracture of Jurassic limestones works the reliefs and the valleys. It is at that time that the the Verdon trace its course. With the Quaternary , the glaciations transform the rivers and the lakes into frightening rivers of ice, which model the reliefs by cutting and striating the landscape. At the end of these glaciations, water of the rivers continues their erosion and in particular, the the Verdon, by digging its bed in the sediments coral limestones accumulated with the secondary, with a tumultuous water flow bordering 2 000 with 3 000 cubic meters a second.

The site became a natural site protected since the May 7th 1990.

Geography

The the Verdon takes its source very close to the Col of Ales, in the solid mass of the Three Evêchés (2819 m). It will be thrown in the Durance, close to the Vinon-on-Verdon after having traversed nearly 175 kilometers. Its most interesting course is between Castellane and the Bridge of Galetas, on the Lac of Holy-Cross. This lake was there are a few tens of years the large plain of the the Room-on-Verdon, before the setting in waters of the artificial lake created by the construction of the stopping of Holy-Cross. At the time of the rise of water in 1973, the old village of the Salles was evacuated (of force), was destroyed and drowned. Its church was dynamited, just like the village, which is rebuilt higher and more modern, to the great displeasure of its inhabitants. It is now the youngest village of France.

The Gorges of the Verdon constitute at a good distance, the border between the departments of the Var in the south and the Alp-of-High-Provence in North, in the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

This area, between Castellane and the Lake of Holy-Cross, is called the Gorges of the Verdon . It is divided into three distinct parts:

Prégorges which goes from Castellane to Sun Pont;
the Throats which go from Sun Bridge in Imbut;
the Canyon which goes from Imbut to the Bridge of Galetas.

The Gorges of the Verdon are narrow and deep: from 250 to 700 meters of depth, for 6 to 100 meters broad on the level of the river of the Verdon, and 200 to 1500 meters from one slope to another at the top of the throats.

Hydroelectric stoppings

Some dates

1929 : Dam Castillon, poses first stone
1932: Interruption of work
1936: Fire which damages the structures
1948: End of work dam Castillon
1951: End of work Dam Chaudanne
1960: End of work Dam Esparron-Gréoux
1973: Setting in waters of the Stopping of Holy-Cross
1973: Rebuilding of the village of the Rooms, 400m higher
1974: Setting in production of the electric factory of Holy-Cross
1975: Setting in waters of the Dam Quinson

Summary

Between 1929 and 1975, five stoppings were built on the course of the the Verdon, between Castellane and Gréoux-the-Baths. These stoppings corresponds to as many water reserves:

Lake Castillon with engloutissement of the village of the same name;
Lake of Holy-Cross with engloutissement of the village of the the Room-on-Verdon, the Roman bridge said bridge of Garuby or bridge of Aiguines and of resurgence Fountain the Bishop to Bauduen. Of a marvellous color and almost changing the every day, it became a high place of estival tourism. It is the second plus artificial big lake of France;
Lake Esparron-Gréoux, commonly named “Lake Esparron”. It is of green color, as the Verdon contrary to the lake of Holy-Cross in the color of which blue dominates;
retained of Chaudanne;
retained of Quinson, sometimes improperly named “lake of Montpezat”, of the name of the village which dominates it.

Remarkable points

The Styx of the Verdon , thus named by reference to the Styx of the Greek Mythology, is a kind of mini canyon in the canyon.

The Imbut ( Embut means funnel in Provençal) kind of funnel where the the Verdon disappears under ground, under an enormous rock chaos.

Tourism

The Gorges of the Verdon are famous to form most beautiful Canyon of Europe, and attract many tourists, especially for the summer period.

Routes

Two road routes make it possible to visit the Gorges of the Verdon, one by Right Bank, in north, energy of Castellane to Moustiers-Holy-Marie by the D952 road and the other by left bank, in the south, energy of Aiguines in Castellane by D71, D90 and D995.

One can make the full rotation, on the basis of Moustiers, according to D957 to the bridge of Galetas, while leaving on the left in the direction Aiguines. Then D71 goes up to hillside on ubac of the Grand Margins (1577m), i.e. the left bank of the Verdon, until the Col of It where one will profit from a splendid sight on part of Right Bank of the Canyon, with in backdrop the tops of Plein See, the House (1624 m), the summit of Barbin (1560 m) the Mourre de Chanier (1930 m). On the back, a beautiful sight on the artificial lake of Holy-Cross. The road continues in narrow laces and difficult crossings, to the Inn of the Riders. This hotel is on cliff dominating the Verdon of more than 300 meters. This place is the departure of the excursion known as “Path of Imbut”. The road continues while moving away from the Throats, then approaching again, on arrival with the tunnel of Fayet (tunnels cut in the rock, with some openings allowing the sight on other bank). One continues then on the Bridge of the Artuby which crosses the throats of the same name. This bridge whose exact denomination is “Pont of Chaulière” 110 meters is long. Of only one arch, it dominates the Artuby height a 180 meters and was built between 1938 and 1947. One arrives then at the relay of the Balcony. From here, two view-point S dominate the Mescla (which means mixture into of Provence), place where the Artuby is thrown in the Verdon. Opposite, seen on the Imbert Breach and cliffs of the Stopovers on the line. Then, one forks on D90, direction Trigance and his medieval castle, one crosses the bridge which spans the Jabron (which is thrown in the Verdon at the level of the bridge of Carejuan) and one leaves on the left, direction bridge of Suns. To this place, one can go on the right, on Castellane by D952 or return to Moustiers, on the left, while passing by the tunnel of Gloige, the Sublime Point, just in lower part of Rougon, which allows a unspoilable view on the Couloir Samson, which is the entry of the part known as of the “Throats”. An end of road, just after the tunnel of Gloige, makes it possible to go down to a carpark-view-point, from where it is very easy to go down at the edge of the the Verdon, with the entry of the Couloir Samson. This place is the point of arrival of the famous Martel path. One continues then D952, while moving away again from the Throats, one passes by the Fen-on-Verdon (high place of tourism of the Gorges of the Verdon, museum and house of the Verdon, office of the guides, etc). From this village, it is possible to take the Route of the Peaks (D23). This road starts from the Fen and returns there while passing by the most beautiful view-points of the area. This road should be taken clockwise if one wants to make the full rotation. Indeed, part of this road being with one way, it should be taken before the Fen, and not since the Fen. While traversing it, one passes in front of the châlet of Malignant, house of the alpine Club French, which is the principal departure of the Martel path. The road continues its descent on Moustiers-Holy-Marie while passing by the Collar of Ayen, the Collar of Olivier, the cascade of Saint-Maurin and the view-point of Galetas with sight on the Lac of Holy-Cross, the stopping of the same name, at the bottom and the Plateau of Valensole opposite. A few kilometers after, one finds oneself in Moustiers. This circuit represents more than 100 kilometers of roads always easy and very not encumbered during the tourist season.

Sports

The Gorges of the Verdon are a destination appreciated of the climbing ones: they comprise more than 1.500 ways of Escalade on good calcareous rock. The various cliffs around the throats do of it one of the most beautiful sites of the Liste of the sites of climbing in France

The Gorges of the Verdon and the the Verdon are destination privileged by the fishing in particular with the fly.

The excursions, the Canoe-kayak, the Parapente, the Rafting, the jump with the rubber band and of course the Canyonisme are some of many the sports practiced in the area.

Excursion

It is in the part of the “Throats” that the most beautiful excursions are which one can carry out in these magic places:

the Path Martel;
the Path of Imbut;
the view-point of Rancoumas by the bridge of Tusset;
the path of Bastidon.

Gallery

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