Nicknamed the “Colosseum of nature” by Victor Hugo, it is the most famous natural circus in the world.
The Pyrenees offer an incredibly varied palette of landscapes. This mountain range located halfway between France and Spain is popular for its wild spaces and its exceptional light, often described as magical. If the chain is full of a multitude of natural gems, from deep gorges to crystalline lakes and green valleys, any lover of nature and the great outdoors should absolutely not miss a visit to this true wonder of nature:
Imagine a huge natural amphitheater surrounded by vertical walls 1,500 meters high, the result of glacial erosion 50 million years ago. Located just a few kilometers from the Spanish border, this natural monumental site decorated with a succession of high peaks and hundreds of waterfalls, the highest of which reaches 423 meters, radiates on both sides of the Pyrenees.
It is a place that has inspired many artists and writers, including the famous Victor Hugo who saw much more than a simple landscape. In 1855, he described this natural site thus, in his poem entitled “Dieu”: “It is a mountain and a wall at the same time; it is the most mysterious building of the most mysterious of architects; it is the colossus of nature is Gavarnie.”
The Cirque de Gavarnie, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1977, is the most spectacular site in the Pyrenees. Many marked trails allow you to hike around this largest cirque in France, the Grande Cascade walk, easy and accessible to the whole family, which allows you to go to the foot of the highest waterfall in Europe in two hours round trip, to La Brèche de Roland, an 8-hour hike for the most experienced, which allows you to enjoy the most spectacular views of the cirque as well as the peak of Mont-Perdu which peaks at 3 352 meters.
The Gavarnie cirque can be visited all year round. In winter, we set off to discover its magical setting made of glaciers and snow-capped peaks by snowshoeing, hiking, dog sledding or skiing. In spring and summer, when nature is reborn, we will particularly appreciate its impressive waterfalls, its lush vegetation and its rare and protected fauna through its marked trails. Finally, in the fall, we will be dazzled by its landscapes of a thousand lights. The wild and grandiose character of the Cirque de Gavarnie will not fail to leave you with unforgettable memories for the rest of your life.