Tarn River

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Tarn River

river, France

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Tarn River, river, southwestern France. It has its source south of Mont Lozère at an elevation of 5,167 feet (1,575 metres) in the Massif Central. After a course of 233 miles (375 km) it joins the Garonne River below Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne département). Its magnificent gorges—which extend for more than 30 miles through the limestone plateaus known as the Causse Méjean and the Causse de Sauveterre, between Florac (Lozère département) and Millau (Aveyron département)—are among the greatest tourist attractions in France. After entering the fertile lowlands of Aquitaine, passing through Albi, capital of Tarn département, the Tarn is joined below Montauban by an important tributary, the Aveyron. The Tarn drains a basin of about 4,600 sq miles (12,000 sq km).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.