La Grande Clue: A Balcony Road in France

Passage de la Grande Clue is a short balcony road located in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It was bypassed by a tunnel and totally closed to motor vehicles. It's one of the famous French balcony roads.

Passage de la Grande Clue

Where is La Grande Clue?

The road is located north of the iconic Gorge du Cians, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the southeastern part of the country, within the Mercantour National Park. Along its way, it’s possible to admire the landscape with the colors and forms carved in the red-blood rock: the stream below and its small waterfalls and natural sculptures.

How Long is La Grande Clue?

The road through the gorge is the D-28 road. It’s about 500 meters long. The deep gorge carved through the mountains by the River Cians is made all the more spectacular by the deep red of the exposed rock. The asphalted road starts on a parking just before a tunnel.

Is La Grande Clue Still in Use?

Landslides, rock falls, and mudslides can occur anytime and can sometimes block some sections of the road. Fallen rocks are found on the road. Due to its dangerousness, this narrow piece of asphalt was totally closed to vehicles and bypassed by a tunnel, called Tunnel de La Grande Clue (230m long). Not far from this road, to the south, there’s another gorge equally stunning, known as La Petite Clue.
Pic: Martin Klein

 

 

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