Source ferrugineuse de Laifour, Iron-rich spring in Laifour, France.

Source ferrugineuse de Laifour is an iron-rich spring at the foot of a schist massif on the right bank of a Meuse bend, facing the village but within the territory of Revin. Its water emerges as shallow, overlapping sheets over a rippled bed, tinted orange-brown by ferrous oxide deposits. Red hematite coats the rock face, where a thin trickle runs down and a patch of green moss or algae clings to the upper left.

The spring's origins are unknown but probably very old. An 1812 analysis found cold mineral water with free carbonic acid and iron, ranking it with the waters of Pongues, Forges and Vichy. By 1835 it was renowned and compared to Spa, with patients coming to take the waters; in 1894 a thermal spa was proposed.

Local residents call such iron-rich springs "pouhons", which reflects the regional term for these natural water sources. This name has remained part of the local vocabulary for generations.

The spring lies opposite the village on the right bank of a Meuse bend, on the territory of Revin rather than Laifour itself. The water issues at the foot of a schist massif, so the ground around the flow is wet, uneven and dark brown. Approach from the riverbank and watch your footing on the slick stone.

The reddish-orange deposits from iron oxide create a striking visual pattern in and around the spring's pool. These colored mineral deposits form as the iron in the water reacts with air and surrounding rocks.