| La Brèche de Roland | |
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La Brèche de Roland, seen from the French side. |
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| Elevation | 2,804 m (9,199 ft) |
| Traversed by | foot |
| Location | |
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La Brèche de Roland
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| Location | France / Spain |
| Range | Pyrenees |
La Brèche de Roland (Aragonese Breca Roldán, Spanish Brecha de Roldán) is a natural gap, 40 m across and 100 m high, at an altitude of 2804 m in the steep cliffs of the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees. It forms part of the border between France and Spain.
According to legend the Brèche was cut by Count Roland (a nephew of Charlemagne) with his sword Durendal in an attempt to destroy that sword, after being defeated during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.
The Brèche can be reached from the Refuge des Sarradets, a nearby mountain shelter, in about an hour's climb.