The Gorge du Verdon Tuesday 19th August Today I visited the Verdon Gorge or as the French say it, ‘Gorge du Verdon’ located in the south-east of France. This breathtaking tourist attraction is a must see if visiting France. The beautiful scenery is pleasing to the eye and the range of activities available is exquisite. This Gorge dates back to the Triassic period when this part of France was submerged under water. Limestone and coral deposits that have been left behind have opened up deep gorges, remodeling the landscape. Activities: The following activities are made available at this great attraction and I must say they are all worth the money. Des Guides pour l'Aventure Expeditions including: Canyoning (€45/70 per half-/full day) Rock-climbing and rafting (€55/75) ‘Floating’ (€45/90) – (river-running with a buoyancy bag strapped to your back) Via Ferrata du Rocher de Neuf Heures Hiking and Trekking (€12) –All equipment is available at the tourist office at the location Latitude Challenge Bungee jumps from Europe’s highest bungee site. The Pont de l’Artuby is an 182m bungee jumping site. (€105) Great restaurants in the area - La Ferme Ste-Cécile This spectacular restaurant is an excellent gourmet diner with delicious culinary surprises. Personally, my favourite was the slice of Roquefort and pear warmed in filo pastry, wrapped in sweet quince. Yum! - Auberge du Teillon Take it from me, this is the tastiest homemade pâtés and unusual tarte tatin au foie gras in the area. Reservations are essential so get in quick! How do I get there? This gorge is simply massive and is nowhere near a train station. I was able to get to one of many entrances and opening of the Gorge by taxi. I travelled along then north route that is locally called rive droite or right bank. The best place to see the Gorge form the North is to take a detour. The track to be taken is steeper and narrower with vertiginous drops without barriers. Accidents are only rare though! Why is this in my Top 3? This beautiful attraction makes my top 3 for the vast range of activities available in this area. Most other tourist attractions in France are mainly and only good for sight seeing the awe and wonder of this country. The amazing Verdon Gorge has the pleasure of a stunning sight seeing place but also backs up with a number of fun to do activities that involve physical work that I love! How does the Verdon Gorge compare to what we have back in Australia? Answer: Nothing compares. The complete size and awe of this Gorge is incredible and not even close to anything back in Australia. The verdon Gorge stretches for 25km and is up to 700m deep! Australia’s deepest is only 400m! No where close! http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/katherine_gorge.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/gorges-du-verdon/restaurants/french/auberge-du-teillon http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/8698150/Gorge-du-Verdon-France-life-on-the-edge.html http://www.marvellous-provence.com/other-places/sights-and-attractions/gorges-du-verdon |