RIYADH — 14 July, 1005 — Of course, there are the sunny beaches of the Riviera, and the snow-covered slopes of the Alps, the châteaux of the Loire valley, and the splendor of Versailles and Paris, famous the world over. But France has many more hidden riches. France boasts an exceptional natural heritage, as rich and varied as it is all too often unknown. And yet, along with the national and regional parks and their summer crowds, there is a multitude of wild habitats well worth the detour.
Situated in a temperate zone, it is Europe’s only country with vast territories under four different climates: Atlantic, continental, alpine and Mediterranean. Seven national parks, 27 regional natural parks and more than 100 natural preserves bear witness to this biological abundance. In summer, most of these havens of greenery are literally invaded by town folk, so much so that a family hiking excursion on the Col de la Vanoise, in the Alps, can sometimes turn into a nightmare. To focus tourist activity and play an active part in local development, these parks are now offering “nature outings,” an original scheme of holidays specially designed to cater for lovers of landscapes, culture and traditions.
Over the past three years, these parks and preserves have also welcomed a hundred or so Panda gîtes on their territory or in the immediate vicinity. These chambres d’hôtes and gîtes ruraux of impeccable quality, set up with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), are located in the very heart of outstanding natural environments. Guests have the opportunity, all year round, to indulge their skills as animal spotters and amateur botanists. The local landlord, with his keen awareness of the environment, has provided his guests with a kit containing guide books for identifying the local flora and fauna, several pairs of binoculars and HQ maps. A chain of nature hotels is also gradually expanding along the same concept.
To attract tourists to the less frequented nooks of these protected sites, certain enterprises and associations are offering original tourist programs. Sud Escapades, for instance, invites its guests to discover the Caroux, in the southern Cévennes, with... llamas acting as porters. These docile and charming trekking companions have the ability to wind their way along even the most hidden paths of a rough and rugged massif, in areas where horses and, sometimes, even donkeys would rather not venture.
In the Ardèche, Accrocs-Branchés allow you to rediscover the simple pleasures of tree climbing in safety, and of traveling from branch to branch before settling down for the night in a hammock amidst the tree-tops. The Loir-et-Cher département has more to offer than the traditional visits to its famous châteaux (Chambord, Cheverny, etc.); indeed, the tourist office invites visitors to “track down” beavers, the river’s natural lumberjacks, on a nocturnal watch on the banks of the Loire River. And the Anat Association offers visitors the opportunity, literally, of a total immersion course with the wetlands of the Alsace Rieds: they can wade bare foot in the ground-water springs, cover themselves with clay, and experience close-up the only deer in France living in the wild.
A few areas of wilderness, more discreet, perhaps even more secret, still subsist, preserved by their difficult access, general ignorance about their whereabouts or, more often still, the keenness of a few nature lovers. And yet, today, it is no longer merely naturalists who are attracted to wetland areas where dragonflies, reptiles and birds abound, peat bogs (a type of marsh with strange carnivorous plant life), limestone meadows festooned with orchids, or deserts of stone. Each day, more and more lovers of nature in its most genuine state delight in her beauty.
Take, for instance, the succession of the 20 or so mounts to be found between Dijon and Beaune in the Burgundy. These ample valleys, hollowed out into the rim of the plateau, shelter three microclimates. Overlooking the famous vineyards of the Côte d’Or, they are in fact removed from all civilization. Deep within these narrow valleys, where peregrine falcon cast their shadow, lies a dense and humid forest, a world of ferns, lichen, ivies and wild cat. On their summits, exposed to Mediterranean influences, cicadas chirp and orchids blossom while their northern face harbors specimens of an astonishing alpine flora (alpine daphne, snow-drops)...
Likewise, while the beaches of the Agriates, in northern Corsica, are invaded every summer by holidaymakers. Junipers, Aleppo pines, wild olive trees, arbutus and heather adorn the rocky slopes of the Monte Genova (418 meters above sea level); there, too, spring coaxes out the pretty little white flowers of the Montpellier cistus. In this plant and mineral furnace, a stone’s throw from the crystal-clear sea, lie the tranquil waters of the Loto Lake, a veritable oasis minus the palm trees.
There are hundreds of other examples of nature at its strangest and most bizarre hidden within the folds of tormented landscapes across France. Knowing where to find them sometimes takes more than a call to the tourist office. It is well worth your while asking the villagers about their local geography. More than the lake, copse or river they may point out to you, they will unveil to the curious visitor the most intimate secrets of these memorable sites, always charged with extraordinary stories, legends and tales, the sweet rewards of man’s encounter with Mother Nature
When the Durance River, north of Marseilles, withdrew from its bed some 12,000 years ago, it left behind an impressive carpet of fist-sized pebbles known as the Crau: stretching over thousands of hectares. The plainness of its vegetation (star hyacinth, lavender...) is deceptive since it is home to a number of exceptional dwellers, given our latitudes: eyed lizard, scorpion, tarantula, lesser kestrel... It is, more importantly, the last sanctuary of the ganga cata, a large fierce bird whose ochre hues blend in perfectly with the surrounding landscape. The Crau is also the privileged environment for a unique pastoral activity based essentially on the Arles merino, a species of hardy sheep particularly well adapted to the surrounding conditions and the region’s crops. A few miles from Paris, nine little islands on the Marne River, miraculously preserved, offer a complete change of scenery for those used to strolling along the river’s main banks. These narrow strips of land covered with tall timber trees and their natural banks are a habitat for the most unexpected fauna for such a dense urban area: kingfisher, spotted woodpecker, common sandpiper, tawny owl...
Grand-Lieu, France’s largest plain lake, is also a mere ten miles from Nantes, just across from the industrial site of St.-Nazaire. This lake complex covered in vegetation stretches over 5,000 hectares of a dense network of canals; its nooks and crannies are the secret home to a bustling community. Under the cover of plant life live no fewer than 17,000 duck of all species, not to mention the common heron, cormorant and magnificent spoonbill.