What to do in Gavarnie

The Pyrenees are often overshadowed by their big brother, the Alps. Yet enclaved in Monte Perdido, Gavarnie, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will surely engrave in your memory forever!

Right on the border between Spain and France, Gavernie is part of the southern Gavarnie-Gedre commune of France. Located on the side from the Hautes-Pyrénées, the region is replete with natural beauties that cater to anyone’s desires!

The most famous spot in Gavarnie is the Gavarnie-Gèdre ski resort located just on the UNESCO World Heritage site. With 22 slopes, Gavarnie-Gedre is a rather small ski spot. While enjoying the sweet sensation only ski can give, you'll be enchanted by the beautiful mountains. Other winter activities include snowshoeing excursions to Plateau de Saugue or La Barrada, the most difficult. When the sides of the mountains freeze, the once waterfalls become imposing ice climbing walls.

Also, in Gavarnie-Gedre the longest green slope in Europe is located, making it a perfect spot for beginners or recent skiers. While descending the mountain comfortably, you get to meet the emblematic Brèche de Roland. Legends say that Count Roland, after the Battle of Roncesvalles in 778, wanted to destroy his sword Durendal by bashing it against the rocks. In return, the mountain cracked creating a breach. Today, Brèche de Roland houses the Sarradets Refuge for mountaineers wishing to conquer the mighty Cirque de Gavarnie. Speaking of mountaineering, Gavarnie is the birthplace of the Pyrenean variety. Mountaineers come here every year to test their skills against the mighty Cirque.

It would be wrong to talk about this astonishing Pyrenean region without mentioning the Cirque of Gavarnie. A Cirque is an incredible natural bowl carved out by ancient glaciers in grey, ochre and pink limestone rocks, which have been turned over and thrust up to an altitude of 3000 meters by unimaginable geological forces.

Evidently, the most famous is the Cirque of Gavarnie with its 6.5 kilometer diameter and walls as tall as 1500 meters. The privileged location of this particular cirque makes it the only one accessible for hikers and mountaineers all year round. During summer, a 3 to 5 hour hike from Gavarnie will take you to the Cirque and its crystalline waterfall. The many waterfalls, ravines, and creeks around the Cirque are adrenaline rushed canyoning spots like d'Ossoue, Héas, des Gloriettes canyons!

Enclosed in the Cirque, the Grande Cascade de Gavarnie is the highest waterfall in France and the second highest in Europe! A mere 30 minute walk from the town of Gavarnie will lead you through the Pyrenees National Park to this breathtaking water curtain. Take a break and feel the vaporized breeze in your face, maybe have a picnic at the spot. The waterfall is fed by the glaciers on top of the mountains, which in spring allow the rivers, such as Gave de Pau, to become one of the best rafting sites you'll ever experience in your life!

Finally, the wintertime ski slopes become excellent downhill biking trails that allow you to discover Gavarnie in an unconventional fashion. Head from Gavarnie and climb up to Especieres ou de Luhos Lake and face one of the hardest biking trails in the area!

People often think of the French Alps as the perfect mountain spot, but the Pyrenees are embellished with stories and a luxuriant beauty that cannot be missed.