Traversée

Traversée is a French noun (feminine) derived from traverser, meaning to cross. It denotes the act of going from one side to the other and can refer to a crossing, a route that connects two sides, or a journey across a space such as a river, sea, or mountain range.

In geography and travel, traversée designates a crossing of a body of water or a land route. Common uses include ferry or ship crossings, the crossing of a strait or channel (for example, la traversée de la Manche), or the length and duration of such a crossing. The term is widely used in itineraries and travel reports to describe movement between places.

In mountaineering, skiing, and hiking, traversée refers to a traverse: a route that proceeds along a feature such as a ridge or a line of summits, without returning to the starting point, often connecting distant points along a terrain feature. Such routes emphasize lateral movement across terrain rather than a simple ascent and descent.

In culture and media, traversée appears as a title or motif in novels, films, or songs, conveying themes of passage, transition, or crossing thresholds. The term is commonly used in French to evoke movement from one place or state to another and is frequently employed in descriptive and poetic contexts.

Related terms include traverser (to cross) and traversée in phrases like la traversée d'une ville or la traversée des montagnes. Etymology traces traversée to the verb traverser, indicating the action of crossing.