Travel | France

Vertiginous Labyrinth; Between Peaks And Emerald Waters

The Gorge Of Verdon Reveals The Story Of Its Hidden Secrets

The Gorge of Verdon, France. Image source: Flickr.

The impressive Gorge of Verdon is the biggest and deepest gorge in Europe, it is also known as “the Grand Canyon of Europe.”

This spectacular gorge reveals the unbelievable formation of the entire region, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, including the Mighty Alps as a snapshot in history, a glimpse of the past.

However, just as it reveals, it also hides many secrets, such as the Styx of Verdon, a puzzling canyon within a canyon that, without warning, suddenly vanishes into the enormous rocks. A mysterious place linked to Greek Mythology, shrouded in conundrum and said to be an interface between Earth and the underworld.

In Greek mythology, the Styx was one of the five rivers of the underworld. The river flowed far underground and surfaced to pour out from a high rock.

The Styx, Gorge of Verdon. Image source: Flickr.

France might be famed for its massive man-made monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles or the Pont du Gard, but its magnificent natural landscapes definitely take the prize.

From the snow-covered towering Alps and the other-worldly pink salt flats of Camargue to the mighty Loire Valley, the garden of France, with its soaring crenellated towers, glittering banquets and rolling hills scattered with historical medieval Chateaux.

France has an endless array of natural wonders just waiting to be discovered. One of these wonders is the breathtaking Gorge of Verdon.

Entrance to the Gorges of Verdon. Image source: Flickr.

It began long ago with violent movements of the tectonic plates deep under the earth, causing the seafloor to rise forcefully, and as it emerged from the bottom of the sea, it formed the Alp massive.

After the ice age and its glaciation, the ice moved and melted, and the soft limestone underneath it was worn away. The turbulent water streams created rivers, water pockets and lakes, and as a result of these relentless fluvial water streams, erosion shaped the natural splendour we see all around the area.

This process of erosion was accelerated by the dissolution of limestone caused by carbon dioxide-rich acidic water, a process that over a long period of time has been forming fantastic caves, bold rock formations and taming underground chasms.

It can truly be said that this impressive landscape is a witness to the violent powers that once shaped it, and visiting is a genuine geological adventure.

The Gorge of Verdon, France. Image source: Flickr.

The deep gorges of the Verdon river split the earth, without notice, for 25 kilometres, creating Europe’s most spectacular canyon, with its emerald-green river walls that can rise an amazing 1.500 metres high straight up to the sky. An incredible panorama embedded in lush, luxuriant nature.

The remarkable river’s waters get their green colour from the limestone “rock flour” or dissolved minerals that have been dragged along the water streams. They were once produced by glacial erosion at the source of the turbulent river somewhere high up in the French Alps.

In the course of the river, the water masses expand and the energetic Verdon River slows down and becomes deeper and deeper, until it finally reaches depths of up to 700 metres.

The striking beauty of the gorge and its ancient history are embedded in mystery and legend. These folklore stories that are passed down from generation to generation add a mystic dimension to the majestic nature of this place.

Mythology tells: “The famous cold waters…..trickles down from a high and beetling rock. Far under the white pathed earth, a branch of “Oceanus” flows through the dark night, out of the holy stream.”

The Gorge of Verdon, France. Image source: Flickr.

One of the most intriguing stories talk about an ancient mill, owned by a benign fairy who helps the locals in exchange for their silence about her existence. The mill, today in ruins, is still protected by the same virtuous fairy.

According to another legend, there is an invaluable treasure hidden deep under the waters of Gorge Verdon. Uncountable adventurers have tried to find it over the years, but the exact location of the treasure remains a tight secret, until today.

According to a third legend, a nobleman fell in love with a nymph of the turbulent waters of the river Verdon. To confess his love to her, he offered a precious emerald stone. But when she decided to refuse his advances, the dark green emerald fell into the waters, giving the river its unique colour.

These myths and legends have their roots in the culture and history of this beautiful place, and hearing them enriches the experience of the visitor and helps them remember that this magnificent place is not only a holiday destination but also has deep roots in the local community.

The Styx, Gorge of Verdon. Image source: WikimediaCommons.

The rugged, plunging cliffs of Verdon offer a unique and thrilling experience for adventure seekers, nature lovers and anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

The peace can be found deep within the canyon carved by the Verdon River, shrouded in legend and myth and embedded in an incomparable scenery, the most amazing canyon in Europe.