Gorges de l'Orlu & Réserve Nationale d'Orlu
Just four kilometres east of Ax-les-Thermes, the D22 road follows the Oriège river into a narrow gorge that opens into one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the French Pyrenees. The Réserve Nationale d'Orlu shelters brown bears, wolves, izard (Pyrenean chamois) and a population of golden eagles — and most visitors to Ax never bother to make the short detour.
The gorge walk and the Cascade de la Goutte
A flat, well-maintained path runs along the river from the village of Orlu for roughly 6 km to the Étang de Balbonne. The first section through the gorge is dramatic — sheer schist walls drop into turquoise pools, and the path crosses the river on a series of wooden footbridges. After about 2 km you reach the Cascade de la Goutte, a slender waterfall that drops 30 m into a natural rock basin and is perfect for a cold plunge in summer.
The trail is accessible to anyone with reasonable fitness and ordinary trainers; you do not need hiking boots for the lower gorge section. Families with children regularly walk to the waterfall and back, making it a half-day outing from Ax.
Wildlife watching and the Maison des Loups
The Maison des Loups (House of Wolves) at the entrance to the reserve is a small but excellent interpretation centre run by the Office Français de la Biodiversité. It explains the controversial return of wolves to the Pyrenees and has a viewing area where you can sometimes spot the animals in a semi-wild enclosure. The staff are knowledgeable and passionate — ask them where izard are currently being spotted on the upper slopes.
Dawn and dusk are the best times to see wildlife in the gorge itself. Bring binoculars and walk quietly along the river; griffon vultures are almost guaranteed overhead, and dippers bob on every boulder in the stream. In autumn, the red deer rut fills the valley with extraordinary bellowing that echoes off the cliffs.
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