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 Tarn and Jonte gorges, Grands Causses, Lot Valley |
A land of limestone
 From its source at an altitude of 1600 metres on the mont Lozère, the Tarn, swollen by numerous torrents along its way, has cut a deep swathe into the limestone of the Grands Causses, forming a canyon between the Méjean and Sauveterre plateaus. From Ispagnac to Le Rozier, the Tarn gorges intersperse calm, clear stretches of water known locally as planiols, with bubbling rapids or rajols. The profile of the rocks, the abrupt faces, and underground upwelling all contribute to the extraordinary beauty of the gorges as they run between cliffs towering up to 500 metres above. Meandering for 53 kilometres past towns, villages and hamlets, the gorges reveal a succession of narrows, cirques and chaotic rocky stretches.
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| Places to see... |
 Sainte-Enimie
Saint Chély du Tarn
Château de la Caze
Meyrueis
La Malène
La Canourgue
The Vulture Lookout |
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 Slide show  |
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 The Jonte gorges have their source on the Mont-Aigoual, with 20 spectacular kilometres from Le Rozier to Meyrueis. At the top of the cliffs surrounding the gorges lie the Grands Causses.  The Causse Méjean, at an altitude of 1000 m, is a vast plain of yellow grasses, fascinating as a desert.
The undulating countryside is dotted with slate-roofed hamlets and shepherds' huts.  The Causse du Sauveterre is a lusher limestone plateau, with fairly rough terrain in the south-west. Alongside it runs the Lot Valley, the most fertile part of the Lozère, crossing the département from East to West, from its source on Le Goulet (Mont Lozère) to La Canourgue. Historical remains, castles, fortresses and churches, line this twisting, smiling valley, whose terrain is both varied and peaceful. |
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