Verdon Gorge

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Grand Canyon du Verdon, view from north rim

Verdon Gorge (in French: Gorges du Verdon or Grand canyon du Verdon), in south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), is a river canyon that is considered by many to be Europe's most beautiful. It is the world's second largest gorge, at about 20 kilometres in length and more than 300 metres deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green color, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics. The most impressive part lies between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Ste-Marie, where the river has cut a ravine more than 300 metres down through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon river flows into the artificial lake of Sainte-Croix-de-Verdon (in French: Lac de Sainte-Croix).

Because of its proximity to the French Riviera, the canyon is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks or hike. The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of meters high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 20m to over 400m.

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River view from hiking trail	River Verdon, view from bottom	View from hiking trail	Western end of the Gorge du Verdon from the south rim
Sheer cliffs of the Gorge du Verdon from the south rim	The Gorges of the Verdon river