PARC NATIONAL DE FORÊTS

Located between Côte-d'Or and Haute-Marne, the Parc national de forêts is the most recent of France's eleven national parks, and the only one dedicated to the protection of lowland hardwood forests. In total, the National Forest Park covers an area of 2,180 km², 20 times the size of Paris itself, and comprises 113,000 hectares of forest, including 3,086 hectares of Integral Forest Reserve. It has 4 missions:

Knowledge: as a site for the study and observation of biodiversity, the National Forest Park welcomes scientific experts and creates partnerships with various players involved in environmental protection.

Protect the heritage of the Parc national de forêts, whether in terms of fauna, flora, built heritage or intangible heritage.

Welcoming the general public to the National Forest Park and raising their awareness of the Park's diverse resources. Increasing the number of Educational Land Areas (ATE), so that schoolchildren in member communities can take ownership of their own territory. Launch of a magazine to disseminate park news, set-up of themed exhibitions, launch of the Atlas of Biodiversity and publication of tourist guides.

Accompany the 110 communes adhering to its Charter, businesses and local players in their ecological transition and the development of a sustainable economy.

Created in November 2019, the National Forest Park celebrates its 5th anniversary this year. Here's a round-up of things to discover in 2024 at the Parc national de forêts.

Free outings and events

As enhancing the territory and raising awareness of environmental protection are two of the National Forest Park's most important missions, its teams organize around a hundred outings and events for all publics throughout the year. On the program: forest outings to discover local flora and fauna, guided hikes and other activities to discover. These activities focus on different themes, such as recognizing the tracks left by large mammals, listening to the sounds of the forest, discovering bats or watching a deer bellow. More broadly, the organized activities are all opportunities for you to understand what this environment brings to man and the role he has to play in preserving it. Learn how to make basketwork from A to Z without damaging the natural environment, or how to recognize the different species of trees to better understand their way of life and development. From June 7 to 16, 2024, the Nuits des Forêts festival invites you to lift the veil on nocturnal animals and what happens in this environment when the sun goes down. After taking part in one of the National Park's activities, you'll understand the fragile balance between man and nature.

Major cultural sites

The 110 communes that make up the Parc National de Forêts are brimming with major heritage and cultural sites. Inhabited since Neolithic times, as proven by archaeological discoveries, the National Forest Park is home to sites dating from ancient times to the present day. For ancient times, the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais - Trésor de Vix, the Faverolles mausoleum and the Mont Lassois archaeological site are must-sees. For the Middle Ages, the Val des Choues and Auberive abbeys are architectural gems. Châtillon-sur-Seine, which has been awarded the Ville Impériale label, boasts a heritage dating back to the First and Second Empires.

The Parc National de Forêts is a major player in the preservation and enhancement of this centuries-old heritage. A European research program called "Vix and its environment" aims to study the Hallstatt period in this preserved area.

Esprit parc national" brand and labels

The Parc National de Forêts is an area where nature, know-how, techniques and local products are preserved. So it's only logical that numerous products, sites and services should benefit from labels covering a wide range of themes. The"Esprit Parc National" label, awarded only to producers, craftspeople and tourism operators whose activities are based in a commune belonging to the National Park, has been awarded to over forty beneficiaries for around a hundred products. In addition to this quality mark, 25 establishments received the Vignobles et Découverte label in 2016. Last but not least, Crémant du Châtillonnais, craft beers, truffles and Langres cheese are just some of the local products to discover.

Sports and leisure activities

National Parks are synonymous with nature sports, and the Forêt National Park is no exception. In all, the National Park boasts some 50 signposted hiking, mountain biking and horse-riding trails. The circuits, which can be completed in just a few hours or over the course of a day, are accessible to all levels of ability and automatically return you to your starting point.

Les boucles du Cœur du Parc: 280 km of trails designed to enable visitors to discover the National Park via soft mobility. 9 stages of between 25 and 35 km, equipped with rest stops and shelters, crossing 39 communes, enable you to meet the inhabitants, flora and fauna of the National Forest Park.

Tour de France 2024: stage 8 between Semur-en-Auxois and Colombey-les-Deux-Églises crosses the National Forest Park on Saturday, July 6.