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Water & Ice · France

Fontaine de Vaucluse

One of Europe's most powerful natural springs erupts from a sheer limestone cliff, filling a luminous turquoise pool at the foot of a dramatic gorge.

When
Jan — Dec, peak Dec — Apr
Best viewing
A scenic riverside walk leads to a resurgent spring beneath towering cliffs; the spectacle varies dramatically by season, from a roaring torrent in winter to a serene emerald pool in summer.
Category
Water & Ice
Status
In season

About this spectacle

Fontaine de Vaucluse is one of the world's most powerful resurgent springs, where the Sorgue River erupts dramatically from the base of a towering cliff deep in a natural amphitheatre of limestone. Visitors walk a scenic riverside path through the village and along the rushing, turquoise-green river before arriving at the spring's pool. In winter and spring, when the water table is highest, the spring surges with startling force, filling the basin and crashing over boulders in a cascade of white foam. In summer the flow recedes and the vivid colour of the still, deep pool becomes the spectacle — impossibly clear and green against the grey rock. The surrounding cliffs rise dramatically overhead, swifts and jackdaws wheeling above. The sound of rushing water and birdsong fills the gorge. Nearby stands the medieval village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse with its paper mills and market stalls.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Dec — Apr

Getting there

Nearest airport: AVN. Nearest city: Avignon.

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