Which mountains separate Spain and France?
Quick answer
The Pyrenees mountains form most of the border between Spain and France, stretching about 430 km (270 mi) from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The tiny country of Andorra sits in the middle of them. The highest peak is Aneto, at 3,404 m (11,168 ft), on the Spanish side.
A natural wall
For most of history, the Pyrenees were a major barrier between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. In 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed them with war elephants on his way to attack Rome. The border along the mountains was largely fixed by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.
How they formed
About 55 million years ago, the Iberian plate pushed into the European plate, crumpling rock upward. The Pyrenees are older and generally lower than the Alps.
The Pyrenees at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | About 430 km |
| Highest peak | Aneto, 3,404 m (Spain) |
| Countries | Spain, France, Andorra |
| Famous sites | Cirque de Gavarnie, Ordesa National Park, Lourdes |
The Cirque de Gavarnie in France is a giant amphitheater of cliffs with one of Europe’s tallest waterfalls, about 420 m.
Cultures of the mountains
- Basque Country at the western end has its own language, Euskara, unrelated to any other living language.
- Catalonia lies at the eastern end; Catalan is spoken on both sides of the border and is Andorra’s official language.
The Tour de France
Some of the hardest stages of the Tour de France climb Pyrenean passes such as the Col du Tourmalet, 2,115 m, used more than any other climb in the race’s history.
Walking across
The GR10 trail on the French side and the GR11 on the Spanish side each cross the range from coast to coast, taking hikers six to eight weeks.
For France’s other neighbors, see which countries border France. For Spanish culture, see where paella comes from.
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