As the fine weather returns, it is time to get out and tramp the hills and the dales. Or both, for France is blessed with a series of spectacular natural amphitheatres called cirques naturels.
They are essentially enormous steep-sided holes in the ground, and, although most are circular, some are crescent shaped. Some even contain rivers, lakes, or villages.
Most are accessible to walkers, often around the tops, or reached by taking the slow road down to the bottom.
50 million years of erosion
The Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees is six kilometres across, the largest in France. The walking trails around it are very well marked and some are suitable for families.
Carved out 50 million years ago by glacial and fluvial erosion, it is the most spectacular and famous of a series of cirques which make up the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pyrénées – Mont Perdu.
The three cirques of Gavarnie, Troumouse and Estaubé are all in the Pyrenees National Park on the Spanish border.
Festival de Gavarnie
The Cirque de Gavarnie is surrounded by 16 peaks which rise to over 3,000 metres altitude, and is home to Europe's highest waterfall. From Gavarnie village, the view alone is stunning, but for a close-up experience, an easy 4km walk beside the Gave river takes you to the Cirque Hotel.
The walk takes around 90 minutes each way, and in good weather does not require any special fitness level. It can also be done on horseback, or with a donkey which can carry small children. If you have time and want to see some of the breathtaking waterfalls around the cirque, the hotel also offers overnight stays.
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For over 35 years, the Festival de Gavarnie has taken place during the last week of July and the first week of August.
It was cancelled in 2023 and in 2024 but check their website closer to July 2025 for updates on the next potential edition (festival-gavarnie.com).
Nearby, the impressively huge Troumouse Cirque is less well-trodden, and offers a variety of hiking routes, some more challenging than others. You can walk up to the top of the cirque from the chapel at Héas, which takes around three hours.
The Estaubé Cirque is also less crowded, and the easy walk around the Lac des Gloriettes to see the cirque only takes around 90 minutes, although you can expand the loop if you like. There are lots of great places for a picnic, and the cirque is a favoured habitat for marmots.
Iberian Ibex
Also in the Pyrenees, the Cirque de Cagateille offers incredible views and wild beauty. It is just south of the village of Ustou (Ariège) at an altitude of 1,160 metres.
The amphitheatre is surrounded by steep, 700-metre high cliffs which are entirely covered with vegetation. To get there, follow the signposted path along the valley. It is an easy 3km walk from the car park.
Remote and untouched by modern life, the cirque is home to a stunning variety of flora and fauna.
The Iberian Ibex was reintroduced to the area in 2014, and can be spotted on the horizon. For a more sporty challenge, take the steep path leading up to the Lac de la Hillette.
Narrowness and tungsten mine
The Cirque Montagneux d’Anglade in AriègeGaryphyr
The narrowest cirque of them all is the Cirque Montagneux d’Anglade, also in Ariège. Accessible by foot from the Couflens carpark, it takes three to four hours to walk there and back.
Walkers are always surprised by how narrow it is. The high cliffs tower overhead, although the Pyrennean Chamois take them in their stride.
Sadly, due to a long-disused tungsten mine on the site, it is not advisable to drink the water here, or pick wild berries or any other plants.
Maple and lime trees and peregrine falcons
A waterfall in the Cirque du Bout du MondeAlain Doire - BFC Tourisme
The Cirque du Bout du Monde in Cormot-Vauchignon, between Lyon and Dijon, in the Côte-d’Or, was formed by steep cliffs rising to an altitude of 530 metres. It is also very much off the beaten path.
It is possible to walk round it enjoying the spectacular views, and after the rain, an impressive cascade tumbles off the heights. There are many different species of birdlife to spot, including the peregrine falcon.
You can find ample shade beneath the broad leaves of maples and lime trees.
Ice Age cirque
The Crique de Font d'Alagnon was first inhabited in the 17th centuryLioran Font d'Alagnon
In the Massif Central, the Cirque de Font d'Alagnon is steeped in history. First inhabited in the 17th century when it was cleared at the same time as the Lioran forest, the first buildings were burons constructed of stone.
These small, very low constructions were roofed in slate, and as well as providing shelter, often served as places to make cheese.
Accessible on foot, mountain bike or even with a pushchair equipped with large wheels, this Ice Age cirque is surrounded by eight Cantal mountains, including the Puy Bataillouse (1,683 metres), the Téton de Vénus (1,669 metres) and the Rocher du Bec de l’Aigle (1,700 metres).
Hiking around the cirque is pleasant in the summer, and can also be enjoyed wearing snow shoes in winter.
Built by the Knights Templar
The unique walled village of La Couvertoirade was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century onwards.
The walls are still complete, and the village inside has changed very little since the 16th century. If you wander away from the main streets into the quieter, more residential lanes, it is easy to imagine yourself back in time.
There are masses of artsy craft shops with leatherworkers, weavers, silk-painters, potters, watercolourists, glass-blowers, and jewellers, where you can watch people working as well as buy their creations. There is also a sprinkling of cafés and bars.
The Tourist Office has lots of historical information explaining the history of the Knights Templar and the village they built.
Throughout the summer months, there is a full programme of demonstrations and workshops, treasure hunts, giant wooden games, nature walks, and cultural events (shows, theatre, choirs, concerts).
Access is via a car park, which has to be paid for in the summer months but free for the rest of the year.
Grand Site de France
The 300 metre-deep Cirque de Navacelles in the Cévennes mountains is not especially large but is very picturesque and a favourite with locals and visitors to the area.
A small village in NavacellesLéna Faury
It is possible to drive down to the village of Saint-Maurice Navacelles at the bottom, but riding down on a donkey is also a popular choice. You can even picnic and swim in the river, and there are a couple of café-restaurants where you can have drinks or lunch.
This area of the Cévennes is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the cirque is a Grand Site de France which is no surprise because it is quite extraordinary. Do not forget to look up. You can spot all sorts of birds in the sky, including eagles and falcons.
Grotte, museum and themed gardens
There are no mountains in Maine-et-Loire but there is nevertheless the natural Cirque de Courossé, towering 70 metres above the winding course of the Evre river in the valley below.
The car park is at the top, from where you can enjoy fabulous panoramic views over the Massif de Mauges and the river valley below. Steep steps lead 225 metres down into the cirque where there is a ruined village, and a cave which was used by escapees during World War 2.
There is a grotte replicating the one in Lourdes, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Bernadette. Unusually, this cirque is on private land; the park surrounding the Château de la Baronnière in La Chapelle-Saint-Florent, but it is open to the public.
Other nearby attractions include Cap Loire – a park and museum about the Loire and the flora and fauna found along its banks. There is an interactive exhibition about the history of boats on the Loire and what daily life was like for the people who lived on them.
There are also more than two acres of variously themed gardens to explore. The Jardins de la Houssaye are also well worth visiting, with their explanations of the principles of permaculture, the history of growing vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants. There is also a glasshouse to visit.
Limestone cliffs and waterfalls
As if the Alps are not spectacular enough in their own right, there is the Cirque de Saint-Même in the Massif de la Chartreuse, at an altitude of 900 metres.
Limestone cliffs rise 500 metres around the cirque, and there are no less than four waterfalls; the Cascade des Sources, the Grande Cascade, the Cascade Isolée, and the Pisse du Guiers. There are also two caves, which seem to delight photographers.
Access is on foot from the village of Saint-Pierre d'Entremont (Isère). It takes around four hours there and back, and in order to preserve this fragile environment, walkers are advised not to stray from the marked footpath.
This is a very popular spot, and access to the car park requires a fee in high season and on some high-traffic weekends in spring and autumn. The money raised offsets the cost of maintaining the site and the facilities.
Proper walking boots are needed for the walk up to see the waterfalls, after which you cross a picturesque hump-backed bridge and walk down on the other side of the river.
The Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval in Haute-Savoie is probably the most well-known cirque in France. As its name suggests, the 5km cirque is semi-circular.
In the heart of the Réserve Naturelle de Sixt-Passy, it is a very popular place for exploring on horseback, and you can do this with a guide.
Binoculars can be fun, in order to inspect distant waterfalls and wildlife.
Very popular, the well-marked walking trails are family-friendly and dogs are not allowed. Note, however, that if you return to the car park via the Chemin de Giffrenant, the path becomes very narrow and steep and so not suitable for inexperienced hikers.
Note
This article is not intended to replace proper planning. When hiking in the mountains, it is essential to seek local advice (from the relevant tourist board for example) about accessibility, weather conditions and safety.
Always wear appropriate clothing and footwear, take water, snacks and a fully-charged mobile phone. If aiming for remote areas, leave maps of your intended route and note the intended time of return.
