The Regional Natural Parks of ‘Bourgogne Franche-Comté’

There are 58 regional natural parks in France (56 in metropolitan France and two in the overseas territories). Territorial projects are developed around these Parks where heritage preservation is at the service of local development.

parc naturel régional du morvan, paysage, village

The ‘Bourgogne Franche-Comté’ region houses three Regional Natural Parks across a total surface area of 7,279 km² (including areas outside the region). The Parks cover 4,873 km², i.e. almost 11 percent of the regional territory:

The ‘Ballons des Vosges ‘ Regional Natural Park (approx. 1.5 percent of the regional territory)

The ‘Morvan’ Regional Natural Park (approx. 6 percent of the regional territory)

The ‘Haut-Jura’ Regional Natural Park (approx. 3.5 percent of the regional territory)

The ‘Morvan’ Regional Natural Park

Often described as a granite island amid a rather ‘chalky’ Burgundy, the Morvan is located at the northern tip of the Massif Central. Spanning over nearly 3,000 km², it offers a wide variety of natural areas from steep peaks to wet meadows, to forests, wooded countryside, villages, hamlets, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams brimming with a distinctive, diversified fauna and flora: Forest Cats, White-clawed Crayfish, Red-backed Shrikes, Spotted Salamanders, Mountain Arnica, Purple Crabgrass, Cottongrass, Drosera, etc.
Also dubbed the “Mountain of Burgundy”, it has remained true to itself through the preservation of its agricultural practices, the protection of its natural environment, and the promotion of its historical and spiritual heritage, not to mention its sense of hospitality and conviviality – so many criteria that soon earned it the label of Morvan Regional Natural Park in 1970.

Ranked among the top five Regional Natural parks in France, the Morvan Park is freely accessible to the public via the ‘Maison du Parc’ (Park House) of Saint-Brisson in the Nièvre.

www.parcdumorvan.org

The ‘Haut-Jura’ Regional Natural Park

The ‘Massif du Jura’ is made up of three successive plateaus like giant steps leading to a high mountain range. Basins and peaks, summits of the ‘Haute Chaîne’, medium-altitude ‘Grandvaux’ and ‘Haut-Doubs’ plateaus, plunging ‘Bienne’ and ‘Saine’ valleys, gorges and waterfalls of ‘Valserine’ and ‘Lemme’, etc. The Haut-Jura landscapes are renowned for their gentle, undulant lines, accessible vantage points, and wide-open spaces peppered with secluded farms.
Lush forests mingling with valleys, gorges, lakes, and rivers amid a landscape curved over the course of thousands of years. A panoramic land of contrasts, the perfect setting for a myriad of outdoor activities come rain or shine. Wide expanses brimming with a specific and remarkable biodiversity and peopled by skilled men and women who have built a community based on solidarity and innovation.