Cascade de Rûnes

Pont-de-Montvert - Sud Mont Lozère

On the granite slopes of Mont Lozère, a stream born in the peat bogs of the summit hurls itself down nearly 60 metres in one go before joining the nearby Tarn. The Rûnes waterfall unfolds in two drops: the first plunges 46 metres into a plunge pool 7 metres deep, hollowed out by centuries of water pounding the granite; the second tumbles a further 24 metres. In spring, swollen by the melting snows of Mont Lozère, it roars at the bottom of its wooded valley; in summer it thins to a silver veil clinging to the rock face. It is one of the highest waterfalls in the Cévennes, in the heart of the national park. The place has its enigma too: near the head of the fall, a carved stone shows a dragon biting its own tail, accompanied by an inscription that is translated as "From earth to heaven and from heaven to earth". Local tradition attributes this carving to Vikings said to have wandered over Mont Lozère towards the end of the first millennium — an unverifiable tale, but one that adds to the vertigo of the walker leaning over the chasm. The path that runs alongside the waterfall, steep but equipped, offers several viewpoints over the falls and the upper Tarn valley, among moorland, beech trees and granite boulders.

Getting there : From the hamlet of Rûnes, on the southern slopes of Mont Lozère (Cévennes National Park). A 600 m laid-out path runs alongside the waterfall; the descent is steep and rugged (110 m of height difference) but equipped; allow 40 minutes there and back, sturdy footwear essential. Coordinates set on the waterfall, starting point at the hamlet.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound