The source of the Sorgue
The source of the Sorgue at Fontaine de Vaucluse is the first eruption in France due to its flow of water. The Sorgometer, placed in the chasm, measures the water level.
Consult the conditions of access to the Gouffre.
Located in the heart of the Monts de Vaucluse and the Pays des Sorgues, the most beautiful river in the department, the Sorgue, has its source in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. It springs up at the foot of a 240-meter cliff, in the hollow of a closed valley, 'Vallis Clausa' in Latin, which gave its name to the department of Vaucluse in 1793.
The source itself, located 80 meters above sea level, is the largest in France and one of the largest in the world, with a total flow of 630 million m³ per year.
The source of the Sorgue is the emergence of an immense underground network. The waters that spring come from the infiltration of rainwater and the melting of snow from the south of Mont Ventoux, the Monts de Vaucluse, the Albion Plateau and the Lure Mountain, which represent an “impluvium” of more than 1,240 km² and whose only exit is Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.
A fresh and peaceful spring in summer, bubbling and impetuous in spring/autumn; La Fontaine, a true whim of nature, has continued to fascinate curious people and researchers since ancient times.
Galerie photos
