Gorges de la Diosaz, Servoz
Just 12 km from Sallanches along the D13, the Gorges de la Diosaz at Servoz is one of the most accessible yet genuinely dramatic natural sites in the Mont Blanc region. A series of suspended walkways and iron bridges cling to the cliff face above a torrent that has carved 800 m of slot canyon over millennia.
The Gorge Walk
The marked trail follows the Diosaz river through five successive waterfalls, the tallest of which — the Grande Cascade — drops nearly 40 m into a churning pool. The spray keeps the air cool even in August, and the canyon walls are draped in ferns and mosses that glow an almost luminescent green.
The circuit takes 45–60 minutes at a relaxed pace. The path is well-maintained with handrails and non-slip surfaces, making it suitable for children from about age five and older adults, though stout shoes are recommended on the wet boards.
Wildlife & Geology
The gorge cuts through Triassic limestone and schist, exposing striped rock faces that geologists come specifically to study. Look for dippers — small, white-bibbed birds — bobbing on the boulders mid-stream; they are almost always present.
Above the gorge exit, a short optional path climbs to a belvedere with a view back down the Arve valley toward Sallanches and, on clear days, the Aiguille du Midi cable car station above Chamonix.
Getting There & Combining with Servoz Village
Drive or take the Mont Blanc Express train to Servoz station (10 min from Sallanches by train); the gorge entrance is a 10-minute walk from the platform. Parking at the gorge costs €4.
Combine the visit with a coffee at the Café de la Gare in Servoz village — a genuinely unchanged 1960s mountain café — before catching the train back. The whole half-day outing costs almost nothing.
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