Lorraine Regional Natural Park

Lorraine Regional Natural Park (French: Parc naturel régional de Lorraine) is a protected area of pastoral countryside in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, in the historic region of Lorraine. The park covers a total area of 205,000 hectares (510,000 acres).[1] The parkland is split in two non-contiguous parcels of land between the cities of Metz and Nancy,[2] and spans the three departments of Meuse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Moselle.[3] According to the World Database on Protected Areas, it is an IUCN category V area.[4]

Lorraine Regional Natural Park
Parc naturel régional de Lorraine
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
The Côtes de Meuse, viewed from the Butte de Montsec
Map showing the location of Lorraine Regional Natural Park
Map showing the location of Lorraine Regional Natural Park
Location in France
LocationDepartments of Meuse
Meurthe-et-Moselle
Moselle, Grand Est Region, France
Coordinates48.88967°N 6.04428°E / 48.88967; 6.04428
Area205,000 ha (790 sq mi)
Governing bodyFédération des parcs naturels régionaux de France

Ancient ruins and modern monuments are common throughout the area.[3] The land was officially designated a regional natural park in 1974.[1]

The park is crossed by the LGV Est high speed rail line, with large viaducts.[5]

Flora and fauna

Animal species found in the park include badger, European wildcat, fox, polecat, roe deer, weasel, wild boar, and wolf, as well as a large variety of birds.[6]

Forests are composed of beech and hardwoods such as maple, cherry and whitebeams. Sessile and pedunculate oaks are often accompanied by hornbeam. There are also ash trees, lime trees, alders, birches and aspens.

Ruins of the Château de Prény, original castle of the Dukes of Lorraine

Member communes

There are 193 communes within the parkland boundaries.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. IUCN Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas (November 1990). 1990 United Nations list of national parks and protected areas. IUCN. p. 89. ISBN 978-2-8317-0032-8. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  2. Dion, Jean (1972). "Le Parc naturel régional de Lorraine". Revue Géographique de l'Est. 12 (4): 377–384. doi:10.3406/rgest.1972.1232.
  3. Bailey, Rosemary (2007). National Geographic Traveler: France. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society. pp. 124–132. ISBN 978-1-4262-0027-4. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  4. "Protected Planet | Lorraine". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  5. Masse, Jean-Paul (2003-03-01). "TGV heads east". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  6. "Le tourisme ornithologique". PNR Lorraine (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  7. "Liste des 193 communes adhérentes du Parc" (in French). Parc naturel régional de Lorraine. 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  8. "Informations sur les villes, villages et mairies" (in French). Annuaire-mairie.fr. 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
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