The wingspan is 27–34 millimetres (1.1–1.3 in).The ground colour is dark brown.

There is a white submarginal band, bordered with an interrupted fringe and a large black ocellus at the apex of the forewing.

Similar to Hipparchia fagi, but on the underside the deep dark basal area of both wings contrasts much more sharply with the light band, and the latter, which is almost pure white on the hindwing, contrasts again conspicuously with the broad dark distal margin.

The conspicuousness of the pattern on the underside of the hindwing is especially noticeable in the male, but even in the duller coloured female the band on the hindwing beneath is still quite distinct, although sparsely irrorated with black.

The butterflies fly from June to September on steep rocky slopes, in open forest, margins and forest clearings and in shrubland.