Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses

Millau, France, France

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The Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses is a vast regional nature park located in southern France, centered around Millau in the Aveyron department, and covers over 3,807 km² across the southern Aveyron and northern Hérault, making it the third-largest regional nature park in France after the Volcans d'Auvergne and Corse.

Created on May 6, 1995, the park encompasses 119 communes and about 86,000 residents, uniting dramatic limestone plateaus, narrow gorges, colorful hills, and forested mountains in a unique landscape where central Massif mountain life meets Languedoc plains. Its most famous features include the spectacular cirques of Navacelles and the Vis, the breathtaking Raspes du Tarn escarpments, the Gorges de la Dourbie and Vis, the immense Larzac plateau dedicated to sheep farming, and the terraced vineyards of the Tarn and Lergue valleys.

The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Causses and Cévennes" designation, recognized for its living Mediterranean agro-pastoral tradition where sheep herding produces the milk for famous Roquefort blue cheese. The area hosts over 200 bird species including griffon vultures, golden eagles, and peregrine falcons, along with rich flora featuring numerous orchids, deer, beavers, and mouflons.

Visitors can enjoy countless outdoor activities like paragliding over Millau, climbing in the Dourbie valley, canoeing on the Tarn, mountain biking across plateaus, hiking trails with educational signs, horse riding, and swimming in lakes like Lévézou and Salagou, all supported by marked circuits and specialized providers for respectful nature practice. The park's headquarters, the Maison du Parc, is located at 71 Boulevard de l'Ayrolle in Millau, where visitors can learn about the park's treasures.