Mountain passes in France

Iconic Mountain Passes

This selection spans the French Alps, Pyrenees, and Corsica, featuring historic transit routes and geological landmarks. It includes the Col du Tourmalet, the highest paved pass in the French Pyrenees, and the Col d'Izoard, known for the barren Casse Déserte landscape. The list also highlights the natural 100-meter-high gap of Roland's Breach and the granite spires of Col de Bavella. These passes offer access to high-altitude terrain and are central to European cycling history and trans-mountain passage.

Jensbn~commonswiki / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Roland's Breach

Roland's Breach is the name of a natural gap, 40 m across and 100 m high, at an elevation of 2804 m in the Pyrenees on the border of Aragón…

Serge Ottaviani / CC BY-SA 3.0

Col du Tourmalet

Col du Tourmalet is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées.

damien petit / CC BY-SA 2.0

Col de Bavella

Situated at 1,218 meters in the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, this pass is defined by the Aiguilles de Bavella, a series of jagged red granite needles. It serves as a key transit point between the Alta Rocca mountains and the island's eastern coast.