Page 346 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

3
GORGES

DU TARN

EXPERIENCE The Massif Central For millions of years the Tarn river has carved its way
! E6 ⌂ Lozère, Aveyron ∑ cevennes-gorges-du-tarn.com
through some of Europe’s most spectacular gorges on
its long journey to meet the River Garonne. Over this
time, the Tarn and its tributary, the Jonte, have eaten
their way down through the limestone plateaux of the
Cévennes, creating a sinuous forked canyon some
24 km (15 miles) long and nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep.
The UNESCO-listed gorges are flanked by rocky bluffs and pine
trees, and scaled by roads with dizzying bends and panoramic
views, which are very popular during high season. The sur-
rounding plateaux, or causses, are eerily different, forming an
open, austere landscape that is dry in summer and snow-clad
in winter, where wandering sheep and isolated farms are some-
times the only signs of life. One of the least populated parts of
France, this area is well known for its wildflowers and birds
of prey, and giant griffon vultures, once hunted nearly to
extinction, are now being
reintroduced. The best way
to appreciate the scenery is
to walk or follow the river’s
course by canoe or kayak.

Rounding up sheep
on the rocky Causse
Méjean, above the
gorges du Tarn

GREAT VIEW
Point Sublime
Point Sublime, 870 m
(2,855 ft) high, is a well-
known lookout point
located high up on the
Causse de Sauveterre.
From here there are
stunning views of a
major bend in the
Tarn gorge, with the
Causse Méjean visible Kayaking in the gorges du
in the distance. Tarn, one of the best
ways to see the canyon
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