Fontaine pétrifiante de Réotier

Useful Information

Location:	D37, 05600 Réotier. N94 along the valley, at Montdauphin D37 towards Réotier. After the bridge parking on the left. 350 m/10 minutes walking. (44.6671595, 6.6004294)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Tufa Deposits Karst Spring
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	F. Blanchet (1939): Les sources thermo-minerales du Plan-de-Phazy et de Reotier pres Mont-Dauphin (Hautes-Alpes) ; leur composition chimique, leur origine geologique, Annales de l'Universite de Grenoble Section Sciences Naturelles-Medecine. pdf
Address:	Fontaine pétrifiante de Réotier, 05600 Réotier, Tel: +33-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

AUG-1889	during the construction of the railway, 300 Roman silver or bronze pieces were discovered near the fountain, ranging from the reign of Augustus to that of Constance II.
1981	the protruding channel collapses.

Description

Fontaine pétrifiante de Réotier (Réotier petrifying fountain) is a typical karst spring and the tufa deposits around the spring are also quite common. Nevertheless, they form interesting bulbous deposits and small waterfalls. The site is definitely worth a visit, especially if you are actually driving down the valley, it’s a must stop.

The growing rock form a sort of protruding channel, which gets longer and longer. It is called Eagle’s Beak or a dragon spitting water. At some point the weight gets too big, and it collapses, which happened here actually in 1981. This is 40 years ago and the protrusion has grown again and has almost its former size. So there is a chance it will break again in a few years.