Waterfalls in France

France Waterfalls are probably as underappreciated as they get. You’d figure that in a country as well visited as France that les cascades (French word for waterfalls) would get a little more love. Julie and I couldn’t count the number of times we’ve encountered quizzical or even shocked expressions when told we were spending at least three weeks in the country on a single trip. Couple that with the lack of literature and attention waterfalls seem to get both within the country and outside, and there were plenty of opportunities to let France surprise us while making our own experiences unique and memorable.

[expand title=”MORE” swaptitle=”LESS” trigpos=”below”]

Nonetheless, how can it be that a country visited annually by 76 million overseas tourists and is world famous for Paris and other things like: Le Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower), French food and wine, Provence, the French Open, the Tour de France, and more; that its Nature let alone waterfalls can be so easily overlooked?

Indeed, waterfalling in the country forces you to look beyond the stereotypes and immerse yourself in the true beauty and diversity that is la France (as it did for us).

Our travels here have taken us to the source of the Dordogne (a river you may have heard of as the one that goes by Bordeaux), the Alps (including France’s own version of Venice in Old Annecy as well as its Swiss and Italian frontiers), the Pyrenees (including the Cirque du Gavarnie as well as its Spanish frontiers), and even the Mediterranean regions of Provence and the Cote d’Azur (French Riviera). In addition to these regions, we have also visited charming medieval villages, abbeys, and chateaux(castles) throughout the land (e.g. Mont-Saint-Michel, Carcassonne, Eze, Yvoire, etc. just to name a few).

Some of les cascades that we were able to come face-to-face with were spread out through much of the country.

Among the waterfalling highlights include the La Grande Cascade du Mt Dore in the heart of the country, the many drops comprising the Herisson Waterfalls, and the country’s most dramatic waterfalls of the Pyrenees such as Gavarnie Falls as well as Cascade d’Ars.

Finally, a local once told us that to truly learn the language and experience the country, you need full immersion. We think we’ve made a concerted attempt to do just that through waterfalling. And by browsing through these pages, perhaps you too might find yourself motivated to fully immerse yourself dans le pays (in the country).

[/expand]