Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval, home to some of the most inspiring waterfalls in France
Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval
Home to some of the most inspiring waterfalls in France
Surrounded by the French department of Savoie in the south and by the Swiss border and Lake Geneva in the north, Haute-Savoie is one of the most rewarding regions in the Alps of eastern France. Here you will find Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval, which is an immense corrie of 1.2 miles (2 km) in diameter delimited by imposing limestone cliffs from which spring many waterfalls.
Located 3.7 miles (6 km) from Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, ranked among the “most beautiful villages in France”, the name of this spectacular site means “Horseshoe circus”. After all, the scenery resembles a natural circus with walls 1,650 to 2,300 ft. high (500 to 700 m), crowned by peaks approaching 9,842 ft. (3,000 m) above sea level. About thirty waterfalls, mostly fed by glaciers, can be admired in the spring when the snow melts. The waterfalls can be seen over 2.5 miles (4 km) and at the bottom of Le Cirque there is a trail that takes you to Bout du Monde or “The end of the world”, being a must visit site just at the foot of the glaciers.
Since Fer-à-Cheval is part of a nature reserve, it is highly likely to see a wide range of fauna. Ibexes, for instance, can be often seen clinging around the mesmerizing cliffs while marmots roam around the picturesque valley!
