Europe is generally not known as a place that has any great desert or sand dunes. In France, however, is a great dune which is about 500 m wide, 3 km in length, and rises up high about 108 meters above sea level. The Great Dune of Pyla is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste- de -Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60Â km from Bordeaux.
On one side of the dune is the sea and on the other a Pines forest. From the top of this dune, we can see the beauty of the ocean and also the natural greenery of the Pine forest. This is because the dunes are much higher than the level of the forest. So from the dunes you can see everything from the sea on one side and the forest on the other. Because of it’s unique, natural and beautiful scenery, the Great Dune of Pyla is a famous tourist destination with more than one million visitors per year. This dune is also a famous place for people to perform paragliding activities.
 If you like sport, then you’ll love the challenge of climbing up this great dune. But for those who want an easier climb up to the top, walking steps are available.
This dune is believed to have been formed between the 17th and 19th century. iSand from other dunes have blown to this location by the strong force of winds over the Atlantic Ocean. The dune has been observed to move landward, slowly pushing the forest back to cover houses, roads and even portions of the Atlantic Wall. Many houses, plants and animals around this area have been destroyed. Though considered harmful, the French government have protected the Pyla dune making it the most fragile natural monument in Europe.
anika