Sidobre

Sidobre
Location of Sidobre within the Massif Central
Highest point
Peak	Le Patau
Elevation	707 m (2,320 ft)
Dimensions
Area	88 km2 (34 sq mi)
Geography
Country	France
State/Province	Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées
Settlements	Lacrouzette, Ferrières and Saint-Salvy-de-la-Balme
Range coordinates	43°38′N 2°24′E / 43.633°N 2.400°E / 43.633; 2.400Coordinates: 43°38′N 2°24′E / 43.633°N 2.400°E / 43.633; 2.400
Borders on	Monts de Lacaune, Montagne Noire and Castrais
Geology
Type of rock	granite rock

The Sidobre is a mountainous area located in the south of the Massif central, in central France. It is a 15.3 km long, 6.6 km wide plateau made of granite, covered with forests. Its highest point is in the lieu-dit “Le Patau” (707 m).

It is located in the Tarn department, at the South-Western end of the Massif central, between Lacrouzette, Ferrières, Saint-Salvy-de-la-Balme and Lafontasse, surrounded by the following natural regions :

The granite of the Sidobre is a plutonic rock resulting from a Hercynian intrusion dated back (using the Rubidium-Strontium method) to 304 ± 8 Ma. The magma cooled down slowly and crystallised at a depth of 7.5 to 20 km. It eventually came to the surface with the erosion of the Cambrian metamorphic rocks. In the central part of the massif, the granite is a granodiorite slightly porphyric, hence its blue tints, while the outer part is essentially composed of monzonite.

Originally composed by one single piece of rock, the Sidobre was cracked by the Pyrenean orogeny, thus becoming more exposed to the rhexistasy, which explain the remarkable natural forms and constructions of the site.

The Sidobre, while just adjacent to it, is totally independent from the Montagne Noire. They are separated by the sedimentary basin of Castres and the “Thoré trench”.

This stunning site, with its dozens of huge strange-shaped rocks, is unique in Europe (other sites exist in France, but in a much smaller scale), and has inspired many legends and tales.

Le Peyro Clabado, on the commune of Lacrouzette