Calanche

View over the calanche to the sea

The Calanche ( French Les calanches de Piana , but also Les calanques de Piana , Corsican calanche di Piana , singular calanca : "fjord-like bay") are a bizarre rocky landscape south of Porto in the Corsica Regional Nature Park . The rocks made of reddish granite are about 400 m above sea level directly on the coast, they seem to glow red when the sun is shining.

The narrow road from Porto to Piana (D81) leads directly through the Calanche. The rocks are accessible from the road, but better on foot. Several signposted walking paths lead through the rocky landscape and to the best viewpoints. The entire area has become a heavily visited tourist destination.

Together with the Girolata Bay, the Bay of Porto and the La Scandola Nature Park , the Calanche was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983 .

Tafoni

The special thing about the Calanche are the so-called tafoni , typical weathering forms of the rocks. The bizarre shapes stimulate the imagination and have corresponding names. So called Guy de Maupassant Calanche "a petrified menagerie of nightmares". Well-known names for individual formations are:

• the "dog's head" ( La Tête du chien ), right next to the street,
• the "tortoise" ( La Tortue ) and the "eagle" ( L'Aigle ),
• the "confession" ( La Confession ),
• the "bishop" ( L'Évêque ),
• the "head of Poincaré " ( La Tête de Poincaré ),
• the "Indian head" ( La Tête d'Indien ),
• the "heart" ( Le Cœur )

photos

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  The D81 road through the Calanche

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  The dog's head

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  The heart

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  A head

See also

• Calanque

Web links

Commons : Calanche  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 42 ° 15 ′ 9 ″  N , 8 ° 39 ′ 26 ″  E