Created on March 3, 1997, the Verdon Regional Nature Park comprises 46 communes in the Alpes de Haute Provence and Var departments, offering a mosaic of unique landscapes and environments. From the Valensole plateau to the lakes and Gorges du Verdon, this is a living space where nature and people live together in harmony. Among the Park’s missions: Protecting and managing our natural and cultural heritage. A rich but fragile territory that must be preserved.
From peaks approaching 2000 m to the gentle hills of the upper Var, from the dizzying peaks of the gorges to the vast expanses of its lakes, the Verdon Regional Nature Park is a land of contrasts united around the river of the same name.
A small territory of 33,000 inhabitants, visited by over a million people a year, it has succeeded in maintaining a balance between human activities and the preservation of outstanding biodiversity and landscapes.
Internationally renowned, the Gorges du Verdon are subject to heavy visitor traffic. To meet the challenges of welcoming visitors, they are part of a Grand site de France project. The aim is toimprove the quality of the visit while respecting the site and restoring and protecting its landscape, natural and cultural quality.
The Parc du Verdon’s mission is to watch over the Verdon’s precious water and ensure that it is used fairly. In addition to supplying drinking water to many of the region’s cities, the river produces energy, serves nature, agriculture and industry, and is a popular tourist destination. That’s all there is to it!
on less than 2000 km² of land
While exceptional sites such as the Gorges du Verdon, Lac de Sainte Croix and the Plateau de Valensole make up the Park’s reputation, it is also home to a more discreet but infinitely precious treasure: exceptional biodiversity.
In its folds nest a myriad of plant and animal species, many of them rare or endemic. There are 2,200 types of plant, in some places as many as 35 different plants on 1m²! Almost all the birds of prey seen in France can be observed here, including the majestic vultures that frequent the Gorges.
A freshwater fish, the Rhone apron is an endemic species of the Rhone and Mediterranean basin. Until the 20th century, it lived mainly in the Rhône and its tributaries. Now threatened, the largest populations are found in the Ardèche and Durance basins.
To fight against its extinction, the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Rhône Alpes has drawn up a National Action Plan National Action for the Rhone apron.
Discover all the tips you can apply on a daily basis to preserve the landscapes and biodiversity of the Verdon Regional Nature Park.
The Gorges du Verdon, the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau and Lac de Sainte Croix are major attractions in the Park.
In the water, in the air or on land, there’s no end of activities to keep you busy!
The Park works with local residents and economic players to promote sustainable development. Support them … consommez parc!
Traces of prehistory can be found in the Quinson museum, as well as Gallo-Roman baptisteries and temples, and dry-stone buildings… The men and women of yesteryear have bequeathed this region a wealth of heritage. The Park preserves it as much as it supports those who are building today’s.
From the Gorges du Verdon to the Valensole plateau, via numerous lakes and alpine landscapes, the Park is a territory and 7 landscapes. Created in March 1997, it covers 46 communes straddling the Alpes de Haute-Provence and Var departments.
It is forbidden to light fires throughout the Park, to camp on the banks of lakes and in gorges, and to swim in the communes of Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon.
The Valeurs Parc label distinguishes food and craft specialities and tourist services, offering you the choice of eco-responsible and ethical eco-responsible and .
Members of the brand are committed to the Park’s core values: territorial roots, heritage preservation and a human dimension.
1,000 kilometers of marked trails, and the possibility of long-distance itineraries on the GR4, GR406, GR49 or GR99 to discover the remarkable landscapes of the Verdon.
