Le canyon de Bozouls
The canyon of Bozouls is an extraordinary geological curiosity, with impressive dimensions: 400 m in diameter, 100 m deep!
This unique geological site, called "Trou de Bozouls", is a natural cirque, a horseshoe-shaped canyon dug into the limestone of the Causse Comtal. This deep meander is the result of the erosive action of the water and the stages of river entrenchment. However modest it may be now, it is the Dourdou which, for thousands of years, has shaped this astonishing natural curiosity.
Classified as a Sensitive Natural Area, the canyon is home to natural habitats and remarkable flora and fauna. By taking the paths, the walker will be able to discover all this richness, sometimes hidden, guided by educational panels. These paths, equipped with wooden footbridges allowing to cross the Dourdou in any season, offer beautiful viewpoints on the Gorges du Dourdou
The geographical configuration of the Bozouls site has always made it an incomparable defensive position. The first village and its castle, built on the rocky spur, only accessible from the south, were thus very well protected
The castle seems to have existed as early as the 9th century; it is among the possessions of the Count of Rodez. Today, nothing remains of the castle, but the old village is still called "the castle".
Over the centuries, the houses have swarmed towards the right bank of the Dourdou, first in the shadow of two medieval towers, with no apparent connection with the old castle, and then climbed the slope to lie on the edge of the plateau.
