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Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval with 2nd from the right the mountain peak Corne du Chamois (Chamois Horns)

The Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval is a large cirque in the Giffre Massif in the French Prealps near the village of Sixt-Fer-à-Chevalat. This natural cirque lies at the end of the Giffre River valley (Vallée du Giffre) and has cliffs ranging from 500 to 700 meters in height. The cirque is surrounded by peaks reaching almost 3000 meters.


The Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval takes its name from the shape of its cliffs, which form a semicircle. Its impressive height (2000 m). The site comprises two parts: the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval and the Fond de la Combe. The two are separated by the protrusion of the Pic de Tenneverge (2836 m) and its extension, the Cornes du Chamois (2523 m).

The rocks forming this Horseshoe Massif are limestones formed during the Jurassic period (199 to 145 million years ago). During the uplift of the Alps, from 50 MA, these rock masses were pushed towards the west and were strongly folded (some rocks multiple times).

In the cirque, around thirty waterfalls tumble from the cliffs in the spring when the snow melts. During the summer, eleven waterfalls remain. At the bottom of the valley, the Bout du Monde also has a good ten waterfalls.

Mountain peak Corne du Chamois (Chamois Horns) rising high from the green meadow at Cirque du Fer à Cheval with horse riders in the foreground

Holiday 2025 - Le Mont (Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, France)

00 OTHER 10 FAMILIE _FRANKRIJK 2025 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval Corne du Chamois EN: Chamois Horns EN: Giffre valley EN: Horseshoe Circus Equus caballus France GEZIN Haute-Savoie hiker hiking horse horseriding livestock mountain mountain peak pine tree system-favorite tree unknown people Vallée du Giffre Wilma Kruse

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947 meter

Z9-0165a.NEF

9-Aug-2025 11:39:38

Digital camera

22-Feb-2026 23:46:32

22-Feb-2026 23:46:38

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