The Tarn Gorges and the region of the Grands Causses are steeped in history. Submerged beneath the sea until the end of the Jurassic period, the geology of the area is simply stunning. The plateau is crisscrossed with huge faults, caused by the pressure of the Pyrenees and the Alps moving against one another. It is these faults that are responsible for the rivers of the Tarn, the Jonte, the Dourbie and the Lot. Great underground galleries and caves at Aven Armand, the Dargilan caves and the caverns of Bramabiau attract the attention of archeologists, cavers and tourists alike. Above ground, the processes of erosion have sculpted magnificent towers and citadels of stone, such as those at Montpellier le Vieux on the Black Causse, Nîmes le Vieux and the Arcs of St Pierre on the Méjean Causse. Lashed by the winds and burnt by the sun, the plateaux of the great Causses present an unforgettable landscape, upon which the men and women to whom it is home live and work with perseverance, courage and faith.
