A balcony road through the Gorges de Trente-Pas

Gorges de Trente-Pas is a spectacular canyon carved into the limestone by Ruisseau de Trente-Pas river in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It’s one of the French balcony roads.

Gorges de Trente-Pas

The gorges are traversed by the meandering D70 Road. It’s totally paved and runs along a narrow canyon carved by Ruisseau de Trente-Pas river. It’s a road to die for (or die on, if you're not careful!). The road winds as a river, cutting snakes into the cliffs and runs as a single track road along the mountainside for some distance with nowhere to pass another vehicle. High risk off rock slides. The area was populated since the Gallo-Roman era as evidenced by the remains of a village of cabins dating from - 825 BC found on the spot. Height limit is 4.2 meters.

Located at heart of the Drôme Provençale, completely surrounded by mountains and forests, the staggering road is 12km (7.45 miles) long, running north-south from Bouvières to Saint-Ferréol-Trente-Pas. It's normal for your palms to sweat looking at those photos, imagine what it must have been like before the barriers. This road raises everyone’s heartbeat. The village of Saint-Ferréol-Trente-Pas is known for its goat farming, its production of olives or its lavender.

This road is one of the most famous balcony roads in the country. A balcony road is a hair-raising lane cut into the sides of sheer cliffs. It’s a kind of road not for those who fear heights. There is little room for error on these roads. When you take this road as picturesque as it is narrow, with its many surprising meanders, drive carefully, and above all don't miss the parking spaces that have been provided.