Verdon Gorge

The Verdon Gorge cuts a brilliant turquoise slash through the limestone hills of Provence, a canyon so striking it is often called the Grand Canyon of Europe. For about 25 kilometres the Verdon River, coloured a vivid green by glacial minerals, runs between sheer white cliffs that plunge as much as 700 metres, while climbers cling to the walls and kayakers thread the rapids far below. It is among the deepest and most beautiful gorges on the continent, set in the dry, fragrant hills of southeastern France.

The gorge was carved by the Verdon River through thick beds of limestone laid down when the region lay beneath a warm sea, the water slowly dissolving and cutting the rock over millions of years. It runs roughly 25 kilometres between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and reaches up to 700 metres deep, the river's extraordinary colour, from which it takes its name, lending the canyon its fame. Dams at either end have created turquoise reservoirs, including the Lac de Sainte-Croix, that complete the spectacle.

Little known beyond Provence until the early twentieth century, the gorge was first fully explored in 1905 by a speleologist whose descent revealed its hidden depths. It has since become one of Europe's premier destinations for rock climbing, with thousands of routes on its cliffs, as well as for hiking, kayaking, and simply driving the vertiginous rim roads. Protected within a regional natural park, the Verdon balances its popularity with the conservation of one of France's most dramatic natural landscapes.

• Grand Canyon
  The Colorado River's mile-deep masterpiece carved through northern Arizona compared with
• France
  Europe's most-visited nation, from the Atlantic to the Alps located in
• Europe
  A small, intricate continent of outsized influence located on
• Alps
  Europe's great arc of high peaks, glaciers, and Alpine valleys near