This shows the former Oxbow lake in the bottom right of the photo, just near a small settlement. Above them, the road mentioned bellow can be seen.

Here the magnificance of the valley is shown. The rivers meandering erosion is clear.

The Cirque de Navacelles is large cirque landform, located towards the southern edge of the Massif Central mountain range in France. A cirque ( French for " Circus " is an Amphitheatre -like Valley, or valley head formed at the head of a Glacier by The Massif Central ( Occitan: Massís Central / Massís Centrau) is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of Mountains and This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It is located near Saint-Maurice-Navacelles and Blandas between the Hérault département and the Gard département. Saint-Maurice-Navacelles is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Blandas is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. Hérault ( Occitan: Erau) is a department in the southwest of France named after the Hérault river. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Gard ( Occitan: Gard) is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division

The cirque is very isolated, with only a few small village communities living in the surrounding area. The nearest notable settlement is Millau, a two hour drive away. Millau (Occitan Milhau is a commune in the department of Aveyron in southern France. Recently, the cirque has seen increased visitor numbers, due to the recent completion of the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferrand to Pezenas, providing a new non-stop motorway connection between Paris and Mediterranean. Clermont-Ferrand ( Auvergnat dialect of Occitan: Clarmont-Ferrand / Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe) is a city and commune of France Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This allows easier transport to the area. Furthermore, the famous bridge, the Viaduc de Millau (which bypasses the town that gives it its name) brings even more visitors to the area, many of whom wish to "venture" further into the countryside. The Millau Viaduct (le Viaduc de Millau) is a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau

Fluvial processes in the cirque

After the cirque's formation by glacial erosion (approx. 3 million years ago), a river channel cut through the base of the valley, creating an Oxbow lake within the cirque, a loop in the river that eroded itself through. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake water body formed when a wide Meander from the mainstem of a River is cut off to create a lake The lake later dried up, leaving deposits of silt and peat. Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Peat is an accumulation of partially Decayed Vegetation matter. This created what is the only patch of arable land for many, many miles around.

Road network

Roads in the area are very poorly maintained and are only suitable for one vehicle to pass on. In order to pass the landform, a dangerous, although exhilerating road which weaves down into the valley and clings to the sheer cliff face on the way back up must be braved. This journey is one of the draws for tourism in the area.

Coordinates: 43°53′34″N 3°30′36″E / 43.89278, 3.51