With its 105 miles (170 km) across the Orne and Calvados departments, the Orne is the second-longest river in Normandy leading to the English Channel. It is surrounded by canyons made up of Athis granites, schists, and sandstones that jostle its course in deep meanders. At the entrance to the canyons, a dam moderates the river's course and makes it suitable for canoeing and kayaking. The area, whose landscapes earned it the nickname Norman Switzerland, has been a Natura 2000 zone since 2010.