There is a population that knows what it is like to live on the edge of the precipice. Bozouls, a municipality in the southeast of France, is famous because its buildings seem to defy gravity. The town is located next to the Trou de Bozouls – translated as Bozouls Hole – a horseshoe-shaped canyon more than 400 meters wide and 100 meters deep. Under the cliff flow the waters of the Dourdou River, which for thousands of years have been eroding the stone to form this geographical feature.
The origins of Bozouls also date back to the millennium. This town with marked medieval roots was born as a defensive enclave. Over the course of the century, a castle arose at the top of the cliff promontory, and three centuries later the church of Sainte-Fauste was founded, offering a look into the emptiness of the canyon. As time passed, the population began to spread along the cliff. Most of the homes look out onto the Dourdou River from above.
Bozouls has grown to become a municipality of more than 2,000 inhabitants today. It is an unforgettable village, a true jewel of the Aveyron department. The variety of latitude of the terrain has caused the town to be divided into distinct areas. Although little remains of the fortress where this town was born, the local population still distinguishes this highest area as ‘El Castillo’. From this neighborhood to the lowest areas there is a distance of up to two kilometers.
If you want to see Bozouls at a glance, you should know that it is quite a possibility. In the area, ultralight rides are offered, a small plane for no more than two passengers. In the air, you can see how the houses have been distributed on the edge of the cliff, imitating the horseshoe shape of the canyon.
As we have mentioned, Bouzouls is located on the Trou de Bozouls. The immensity of this canyon can be seen from the municipality, you just have to go to the Sainte-Fauste church. Practically suspended in the air, this solitary religious building is one of the few remaining in the highest area of the cliff. It is striking how one of the ends of its central nave is located on the edge of the precipice that overlooks the Trou de Bozouls.
Leaving aside the peculiarity of its geographical position, the church is a building that stands out for its beauty. Originally from the Romanesque, the building received numerous later Gothic additions. In this way, in this building the intimacy of the Romanesque is combined with the luminosity of the Gothic.
Another point to appreciate the bottom of the canyon is at the town hall, as well as those that have emerged after word spread about the beauty of this town, with restaurants, cafes and hotels that have opened on the edge of the canyon. precipice.
Henry’s feat
The Trou de Bozouls canyon has become famous not only for its landscape, but also for the feat it carried out in 1982. In that year the tightrope walker known as Henry’s broke a world record. He had managed to stay hanging from a cable over the cliff for 11 days. A total of 264 hours in which the tightrope walker defied gravity. Throughout this time the acrobat crossed the canyon repeatedly and with different methods: by cable, by motorcycle, and even by car.
It was a massive event in which 4,000 people—including locals, tourists and journalists—remained in suspense. The initiative arose from the Bozouls town council itself, which sought to attract tourists to the town. The number worked, elevating the municipality into one of the most touristy towns in the Aveyron department.
In 2008 Henry’s, now retired, published a biography recounting his experience in Trou de Bozouls. The tightrope walker never got off the cable, doing acrobatics until his death in 2013, at the age of 82.
Trou de Bozouls inside
If seeing the urban part of the canyon is not enough for you, you should know that it is possible to tour inside. The descent to the Dourdou is most rewarding, with floods along the bed of this river that create waterfalls such as the Fées fountain or the Gourg d’Enfer. This multi-jet waterfall is famous both for its beauty and for the stridency of the water, which offers an unforgettable sound. In rainy seasons, the waterfall can increase ten times its size. Legend has it that this geographical feature was born after a man jumped off the cliff, baptizing the area as ‘Beggar’s Leap’.
There are circular routes through Trou de Bozouls, which offer a unique hiking experience. There are different variables of these routes, perfectly signposted by the town hall. PR1, for example, is a short route – just two kilometers – where you can ascend to the Sainte-Fauste church. Despite how short the route is, it has the difficulty that several of its sections are quite steep, so make sure you are well equipped.
If you are looking for longer routes, we suggest PR3 and PR3, where you can walk over the Dourdou River along multiple walkways. Finally, the PR4 bis section is ideal if you want to combine a good walk with medieval tourism. Also known as the ‘Bacambou trail’, this route begins at the medieval towers that welcome the historic center, and descends to the Dourdou along a two-kilometre path decorated with sculptures.
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