In the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, straddling the French-Spanish border, the Mont-Perdu massif exceeds 3,000 m in altitude.
To the south, the extraordinary canyons of Ordesa, Aniscle and Pineta.
To the north, the land of cirques: Gavarnie, the most majestic, Troumouse, the largest of them all, and Estaube, the wildest.
Since 1997, this ensemble of over 30,000 hectares has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, for both its natural and cultural riches.
Today, only 27 sites in the world benefit from such recognition.
The Cirque de Gavarnie's reputation has been built up since the 16th century by the many explorations of botanists, scientists, painters, romantics and, of course, mountaineers in search of discoveries and prestigious ascents, making it the cradle of "Pyreneoism".
Gavarnie also owes its fame above all to Victor Hugo, who in his poem "Dieu" depicts it as an "impossible and extraordinary object", "a colosseum of nature". "It's a mountain and a wall all at once; it's the most mysterious edifice of the most mysterious of architects; it's the Colosseum of nature; it's Gavarnie".
Gavarnie is an extraordinary wall 1,700 m high and 14 km in circumference, framed by several "giants": Mont Perdu (3,352 m), Pic de Marboré (3,248 m), Taillon (3,144 m) and the legendary Brèche de Rolland.
Gavarnie is also home to Europe's largest waterfall, with a free-fall drop of 413m.
The visit can be made on foot or on horseback.
You can also visit the Estaube or Troumouse cirques and the Brèche de Roland.
And don't forget the Millaris discovery museum in Gèdre, which offers a complete panorama of the history of the glacial cirques of Gavarnie, Troumouse and Estaubé: discovery of mythical landscapes, the importance of water, agriculture and pastoralism, but also Unesco World Heritage.
Also not to be missed in high summer is the Festival de Gavarnie, a high-altitude theater festival.
Faced with majestic peaks over 3,000 m, spectators are captivated by the acting, sumptuous costumes and staging, but more often than not it's the emergence of the twinkling stars above the Cirque that catches the eye. A unique artistic experience in a natural amphitheatre!
Gavarnie-gèdre Tourist Office
65120 Gavarnie
Tel.: 05 62 92 49 10
ot-gedre@gavarnie.com
https://www.valleesdegavarnie.com/gavarnie-gedre/
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