Gorges du Tarn
Gorges du Tarn
The Tarn rose from Mont Lozère and its wild river rushed down the Cévennes and dug a deep canyon into the Grands Causses slab. Cliffs up to 500m high, breaches, ledges and rocks... the Gorges du Tarn stage their greatest show between Quézac (Lozère) and Le Rozier (Aveyron) for around 50km. It is the largest canyon in Europe!
Nearby, Millau, another Grand Site Occitanie, is considered the gateway to the gorges of the Tarn when you arrive by the department of Aveyron.
Explore the gorges du Tarn by car or canoe. Lay your towel on one of the river's beaches, take a dip in its turquoise water, go rafting... Whatever you do, you'll never forget such a stunning setting!
Gorges du Tarn
See the top tips for visitors recommended by Tarn Gorges guide, Valentin Grollemund.
Video 0:45 © Tourism Occitania
Climb up to the Hermitage from Sainte Enimie(1 hr return). From there you can see the Tarn's loop then you can visit the squares, shops and shaded terraces in this village listed as one of the most beautiful in France on the way back down. You can also see Castelbouc clinging to the cliffside. Locals can only reach the hamlet of Hauterives by boat. Saint-Chély-du-Tarn puts on a great show with waterfalls and its fabulous bridge.
La Malène, Les Vignes and Le Rozier haven't been left out. You can visit them all on the D907bis!
Sainte-Enimie
La Jonte rises from Mont Aigoual (1565m) in the heart of the Cévennes National Park. It runs through Meyrueis before it ventures through another impressive rocky parade and jets into the Tarn.
Set off from Cassagnes on foot and cover Causse Méjean until the Balcon du Vertige to see the river's twists and turns. Drive by the most amazing views along the D 996 from Meyrueis or down a tiny road from Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers to Truel.
Gorges de la Jonte
Well worth a visit
Grab your powerful binoculars and spot 300 vultures gliding over the Gorges de la Jonte at the Maison des Vautours in Truel.
You won't see many people on the Causses but you will see huge herds of sheep that have adapted to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Shepherds have spent centuries sculpting the vast stretches by building natural water reservoirs (dolines) and manmade ones (lavognes).
Gaze at the old and sometimes fortified Causses farms and vaulted sheep pens. Get to know the farmers with a trip to Domaine des Boissets in Sainte-Enimie or the Ferme Caussenarde d’Autrefois in Hyelzas.
Causse Méjean
Mont Aigoual
Venture higher than the Gorges du Tarn, go through the Cévennes villages surrounded by terraced fields, swim in the Bonheur with a climb up the Aigoual. Livestock go up to the summer pastures along the droveways. Make like the animals for great hikes and come back in winter to ski at the foot of the weather station on Mont Aigoual. Follow the goats on the footpaths in the French Valley or the Corniche des Cévennes. Stop at the farms to sample AOP Pélardon cheese.
Original
Take the cable car to Aven Armand to delve deep into Causse Méjean and see the incredible show of its "virgin forest" with 400 stalagmites. Beneath the Causse Noir, explore the fairytale pink Dargilan Cave.
Our suggestions
Regional Committee for Tourism and Leisure Occitanie
Others websites
How to get there?
The Gorges du Tarn are in the east of the Occitania region straddling Lozère and the Aveyron. The map is focused on the village of Sainte-Enimie.
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