Gorges de Padern, a balcony road in France
The scenic Gorges de Padern are located in the Aude department in southern France. It’s one of the French balcony roads.
The gorges are traversed by the D123 road. It’s a paved road with some narrow parts. Be careful in the curves. The gorges were carved by the Le Torgan river. The water flows in a succession of cascades, potholes and small lakes which have been naturally crafted in the rocks. High risk of rock slides along the way.
This curvy road between the rocks runs south-north from the village of Maisons towards Padern. It’s 9.5 km long. 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 runs as a single track road along the mountainside for some distance with nowhere to pass another vehicle.