The Tarn Gorge

The river Tarn descends from the slopes of Mont Lozère between the Sauveterre and Méjean plateaux, carving a staggeringly high gorge - the 'Gorges du Tarn' - across one of the most beautiful and sparsely populated regions in the south of France.

Natural Languedoc Roussillon, South of France

The Tarn Gorge - Natural France

Flanked by cliffs that soar to 50 metres, between the villages of Ispagnac, and le Rozier, about 40 underground springs cascade into clear waters, some of them peaceful, some turbulent. This canyon-crossed landscape provides great hiking country, and offers plenty of opportunities for sports: canoeing, kayaking, boating, potholing, caving, canyoning and climbing…

The villages of the Tarn Gorge are some of the most beautiful in Lozère: Sainte-Enimie, a medieval village in the heart of the gorge with cobbled streets down to the river; Ispagnac, ‘the garden of the Lozère’, with its magnificent 12th century church; the ‘Point-Sublime’, which at more than 400 metres offers superb views of the gorge. Castles, gothic bridges, fortresses and villages are also dotted along the course of the river.

Every summer, the towns and villages come alive with colour and music, during the festival of the Tarn Gorge and Valley.

Sainte-Enimie: medieval village

“One of the most beautiful villages in France”. This accolade given to Sainte-Enimie is not bestowed lightly. Between the Causse Sauveterre and the Causse Méjean, tucked in a bend of the meandering river Tarn, every street corner of this medieval village offers a glimpse of its exceptional architectural past. Don’t miss its Museum of Ancient Dwellings (Musée du Vieux Logis).

Water-born through Le Tarn

Below Malène, in the wildest and most remote section of the Gorges du Tarn, the river sometimes gets wild and furious between the 500-metre high cliffs. In these conditions, it’s probably better to let le local boatman, Olivier, hold the tiller, since he knows the river-bed and the banks by heart, and let him guide you through the local flora and fauna.

Bateliers la Malène :+ 33 (0)4 66 48 51 10

INFORMATION

- Tourist Office Ispagnac
Tel: + 33 (0)4 66 44 20 89 Website
- Tourist Office Tarn Gorges
Tel: + 33 (0)4 66 48 53 44 Website