A glacier was excavated for thousands of years in the mountain range to a depth of 750 meters. The Verdon Gorge is located west of the city of Nice. It's one of the biggest gorges in Europe and I think it's the prettiest. The Great Canyon of the Verdon is located 863 Km from Paris and 110 km from Nice
The Verdon river, which rises in the Maritime Alps, at an altitude of about 2,630 meters, leads to a distance of more than 160 kilometers on the Durance. On its stretch between Castellane and the lake of Sainte-Croix, the thousand-year-old glacier excavated a stretch of some 21 kilometers of canyon. When the glacier fell, one of the largest gorges in Europe appeared, but also a spectacular landscape. In 1997, a national park was also created.
Trekking the Canyon of The Verdon
With its hanging passages of the rock and steep stairs, the Martel Trail is 14 kilometers long. It is also today a road full of ups and downs. Once one is completely down in the throat, the reward is immediate. The landscape is incredible. It is essential to bring trekking equipment, water an amount (three liters per person) enough food and a flashlight. The trek lasts about six hours.
In 2005, the trail was named Sentier Blanc-Martel, in honor of Isidore Blanc, who had accompanied Martel on his first exploration of the Verdon. Today, the Verdon is a river that runs between five dams before its mouth.
Apart from the lake of Castillon, in the upper course of the Verdon is Lake Sainte Croix ,. This lake is the second largest reservoir in France. A gram drinking water deposits very attractive to look at. It is located at the exit of the gorge.
The most beautiful view of the lake is from the Sainte-Croix bridge, which passes over 46-meter high pillars on the Verdon River.
The lake of Sainte-Croix offers a panoramic setting where the water is turquoise. The turquoise color is the characteristic color of the Caribbean Sea or Polynesia. So we are seeing an incomparable landscape between the hills of Haut-Var and the lavender fields of Valensole. The turquoise color of the water comes from the minerals in suspension that the river drags from its upper course
To fill the reservoir and form this artificial lake more than 2,000 hectares of fertile land were flooded and an entire village destroyed. The village, Les Salles-sur-Verdon, was rebuilt in the style of before about 400 meters later, in a higher place. The bells that in the current church sound to call the prayer of the Angelus come from the ancient temple.
The church of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
This town is the end of the discovery the Gorge of The Verdon:
About four kilometers above the lake, is Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. This town is one of the most picturesque villages of Provence: narrow streets, stone houses and a stream that divides the town.
The church is of Romanesque style and the town, which was born in the fifth century of a monastery, is stuck like an eagle's nest at the foot of a gigantic rock. Above the village stands a monument which can be accessed by a steep path. It is called the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Beauvoir.
