Gorges du Bachelard, a French balcony road

Located on the road to Col de la Cayolle, in the heart of Mercantour National Park, in the Maritime Alps, France, Gorges du Bachelard is a narrow, rocky canyon crammed with waterfalls, stone bridges, and soaring cliffs.

Gorges du Bachelard

The road is pretty steep and narrow but asphalted. The original route inside the gorges (unsurfaced) was built in 1913. It remains a difficult place in which to pause safely, but the scenery finally softens and the valley begins to broaden near Fours Saint Laurent. It's one of the famousFrench balcony roads.

The road going along this canyon cut out by the Bachelard river is called D902. It’s a small twisty road, in places as bit rough, a bit gravelly, with several bridges. There are bicycles, motorcycles, a few cars, no trucks.