Natural wonders in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

This collection spans the diverse geological history of southeastern France, from the prehistoric figurative drawings of the UNESCO-listed Chauvet Cave to the soaring 4,810-meter summit of Mont Blanc. The selection features iconic Alpine passes like the Col de l'Iseran—the highest paved road in the Alps—and the volcanic phonolite peak of Mont Gerbier de Jonc. Explore the massive Mer de Glace glacier, the limestone escarpment of the Rock of Solutré, and the varied landscapes of the Massif Central and the Dauphiné Alps.

Chauvet Cave

The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative…

Mont Gerbier de Jonc

Mont Gerbier de Jonc is a mountain of volcanic origin located in the Massif Central in France. It is made of a type of rock called phonolite.

Enaphets / Public domain

Col du Galibier

The Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble.

Matt Neale / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tete d'Or Park

The Parc de la Tête d'or is a large urban park in Lyon, France, with an area of approximately 117 hectares.

Anthospace / CC BY-SA 3.0

Col de l'Iseran

Col de l'Iseran is a mountain pass in France, the highest paved pass in the Alps.

~Pyb / CC BY-SA 3.0

Col de la Madeleine

Col de la Madeleine is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France which connects La Chambre in Maurienne with…

Benoit Kornmann / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Col du Télégraphe

Col du Télégraphe is a mountain pass in the French Alps situated above the Maurienne valley between the eastern end of the massif d'Arvan…

Tangopaso / Public domain

Col des Aravis

The Col des Aravis is a mountain pass in the French Alps that connects the towns of La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie with La Giettaz in Savoie.

Kristoferb / CC BY-SA 3.0

Mer de Glace

The Mer de Glace is a valley glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the French Alps.

Florian Pépellin / CC BY-SA 3.0

Gardens of Europe

A 19th-century English-style park on the shores of Lake Annecy, designed by Henri Porreaux in 1863. The landscaped grounds feature over 600 trees, including century-old giant sequoias and ginkgo biloba, offering views across the water to the surrounding mountains.