The GR 20 (or ''fra li monti'') is a
GR footpath that crosses the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
of
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast o ...
running approximately north–south, described by the outdoor writer Paddy Dillon as "one of the top trails in the world".
The whole trail is about 180 km long with 12,000 m of elevation gain, clearly waymarked throughout, the walk for most of the 10,000–20,000 hikers per year takes around 15 days. The trail is considered to be the most difficult of all the GR routes and consists of two parts: the northern part, between
Calenzana and
Vizzavona
upright=2, Monte d'Oro
Vizzavona is a village of the commune of Vivario in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an i ...
and the southern part, between
Vizzavona
upright=2, Monte d'Oro
Vizzavona is a village of the commune of Vivario in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an i ...
and
Conca.
Vizzavona is considered the middle as there is a train station, and therefore is an accessible point for walkers beginning or ending a walk consisting of half the route. From Vizzavona, the train can be taken to
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the i ...
or
Ajaccio
Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the '' Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica ...
as well as many smaller towns and villages such as
Corte. The northern part is considered by some the more difficult part, because of the steep and rocky paths, though this could be an effect of many walkers beginning in the north and not being as fit for this section. The southern part of the trail is often considered easier though the lower altitude may give rise to higher temperatures in summer and so provide more difficult walking conditions.
Along the trail there are mountain huts known as "''refuges''" or
gîte
A gîte () is a type of accommodation that comes in a variety of forms, ranging from a gîtes d'etape, a hostel, for walkers and cyclists, to a gîte rural, a holiday home in the country available for rent, often an accessory dwelling unit. The t ...
s. The standard and price of accommodations and food varies between refuges. Hikers can sleep in a tent near the refuge, but it is not permitted to pitch tents along the trail.
The GR 20 is an advanced trail. Other less difficult trails on the island include the
Mare e monti (sea and mountains) and the
Mare a mare (from sea to sea) trails.
The idea of GR 20 comes from a former general inspector for youth and sports, Marcel Schlück, and his friend Guy Degos, both hiking enthusiasts.
Route
* Northern part:
Calenzana – Ortu di Piobbu or Bonifatu (alternative route) – Carozzu – Asco Stagnu – Tighjettu – Ciottulu di I Mori (or Castel de Vergio) – Manganu – Petra Piana – L'Onda –
Vizzavona
upright=2, Monte d'Oro
Vizzavona is a village of the commune of Vivario in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an i ...
* Southern part:
Vizzavona
upright=2, Monte d'Oro
Vizzavona is a village of the commune of Vivario in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an i ...
– E Capenelle – I Prati – Usciulu – Matalza (added in the late 2011) – Asinao – I Paliri –
Conca
Records
Men's
In June 2016,
François D'Haene set a time of 31 hours and 6 minutes. In 2021 this was broken by
Lambert Santelli with a time of 30 hours 25 minutes.
Women's
The current record by a woman is held by
Anne-Lise Rousset who completed the course in 35 hours and 50 minutes in June 2022.
See also
*
Orla Perć
*
Aiguilles de Bavella
Citations
External links
GR 20 on the official website of the Parc naturel régional de Corse(in French)
{{Coord, 42.1271, N, 9.1328, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Geography of Corsica
Hiking trails in France
Tourist attractions in Corsica