"The Verdon rises near the Col d'Allos, in the Massif des Trois Evêchés (2,819 m). It flows into the Durance, near Vinon-sur-Verdon after having covered almost 175 kilometers.
Part of its course between Castellane and the Pont du Galetas is today located on the lake of Sainte-Croix which was, a few decades ago, the great plain of Salles-sur-Verdon, before the water from the artificial lake created by the construction of the Sainte-Croix dam. Before the waters rose in 1973, the new village of Salles-sur-Verdon was built higher and more modern (it is now one of the youngest villages in France) and the old village of Salles was evacuated (from force), his church was blown up like the old village, to the chagrin of its inhabitants.
The Gorges du Verdon constitute for a good distance, the border between the departments of Var in the south and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in the north, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
This region, between Castellane and Lake Sainte-Croix, is called the Gorges du Verdon. It is divided into three distinct parts:
- the pre-gorges, which go from Castellane to Pont-de-Soleils (municipality of Castellane);
- the gorges which go from Pont-de-Soleils (municipality of Castellane) to a place called Imbut (municipality of La Palud-sur-Verdon);
- the canyon which goes from the place called Imbut (municipality of La Palud-sur-Verdon) to the Pont du Galetas (municipality of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie).
The Verdon gorges are narrow and deep: from 250 to 700 meters deep, for 6 to 100 meters wide at the level of the Verdon river, and 200 to 1,500 meters from one slope to the other at the top of the gorges .
The Verdon gorges are renowned for forming the most beautiful canyon in Europe, and attract many tourists, especially during the summer period. It is especially Isidore Blanc who was the initiator of local tourism by developing existing trails to make them passable to hikers."