Roland's Breach, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain

© Inaki Relanzon/Nature Picture Library/Alamy Stock Phot

Roland's Breach, Spain

High up in the Pyrenees, there is a gap in the mountains. More than 90 metres tall and 39 metres wide, Roland's Breach, featured here today, is a sight to behold. But who was Roland? Count Roland was a Frankish military leader during Charlemagne's reign in the 8th century. Legend has it that, after being defeated in battle, Roland cut a gap in the mountains—either to destroy his sword or to catch one last glimpse of France.

Roland's Breach lies within the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in Spain, right on the border with France. Covering more than 15,300 hectares, the park is home to some spectacular limestone formations. It's made up of four different valleys and one peak—Monte Perdido—which towers more than 3350 metres above sea level. It even has its own glacier, the Monte Perdido glacier, which is the fourth-largest in the Pyrenees. A wide range of animals live in this mountainous landscape, including wild boars, Pyrenean chamois and brown bears.