Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc
The Regional Natural Park of Haut Languedoc (French Parc naturel régional du Haut- Languedoc ) extends in the French department of Hérault of the Languedoc -Roussillon region and in neighboring Tarn department of Midi -Pyrénées region. It is located in the eponymous landscape Languedoc approximately between the towns
- Castres in the northwest,
- Revel in the West,
- Saint- Chinian in the southeast and
- Bédarieux in the east.
In the northeast it borders the Regional Natural Park of Grands Causses.
Park management
The establishment of the Natural Park took place on October 22, 1973 and now covers an area of approximately 306,000 hectares. The park office is located in Saint -Pons -de- Thomières (43 ° 29 ' 27 " N, 2 ° 45' 38 " O43.4908333333332.7605555555556Koordinaten: 43 ° 29 ' 27 " N, 2 ° 45' 38" E ), where the " Maison du Parc " is. Following the revision of the Charter in 2012 now form 109 municipalities with a catchment area of approximately 100,000 residents of the park.
Larger towns in the park
Tarn:
Hérault:
- Bédarieux
- Le Bousquet - d'Orb
- La Salvetat -sur -Agout
- Olargues
- Saint- Gervais- sur -Mare
- Saint -Pons -de- Thomières
- La Tour-sur -Orb
Landscape
The nature reserve comprises the southern foothills of the Massif Central. The valleys of the rivers Agout Thoré and Orb structure the park area mainly in East-West direction. Geologically, the area is located in the center of a Variscan orogeny, which took place more than 300 million years ago and whose relics today draw from northeast to southwest through the Regional Nature Park and the cause for the occurrence of granite, gneiss and mica schist, and locally even represents sandstone and coal- bearing deposits. Due to its complex geological structure and location in the overlapping area between the Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic zone to the diverse landforms have developed.
The park includes the following natural landscapes and habitats:
- Sidobre
- Monts de Lacaune
- Montagne de l' Espinouse and Caroux massif
- Monts d' Orb
- Plateau des Lacs
- Montagne Noire
- Vignes et Vallées
Sidobre
The southern Tarn is a granite plateau in the north- western part of the Regional Natural Park of Haut Languedoc, the main towns are Burlats, Lacrouzette, Mont -Labessonnié and Roquecourbe. The river Agout winds around the northern and eastern edge of the area. It is about ten miles long and ten miles wide, its surface broken by erosion. It is one of the largest granite deposits in Europe, by the erosion bizarre granite blocks were formed, representing at certain places a special tourist attraction.
Monts de Lacaune
As Monts de Lacaune refers to the landscape around the same range of hills in the northern part of the nature park. It is bounded on the south by the river and its tributary Agout Vèbre. The main town in the area called Lacaune and Viane. The highest peak of the mountain range is Mont Grand ( 1,267 m), but which is not publicly available, because there are important military facilities in its immediate vicinity. Near the Roc de Montalet is ( 1,259 m ), on which is perched a small Mary statue.
Montagne de l' Espinouse and Caroux massif
This landscape includes the two contiguous mountain ranges Montagne de l' Espinouse and Caroux. It is located in the eastern part of the Regional Park and is bordered to the north by the river Agout and to the south by Orb. The capital is Saint- Gervais- sur- Mare. Between the two massifs, the impressive gorge George d' Heric runs to the north.
Monts d' Orb
The area lies to the east and the extreme northeast of the park. It is named after the river Orb, which crosses its headwaters in the area. In the Northeast section extends deep into the Regional Natural Park of Grands Causses, the river to the dam Réservoir d' Avène has been dammed, just to the south it crosses the state forest Forêt Domaniale des Monts d' Orb. Below Bédarieux swings the flow direction southwest to west. Main towns in the Monts d' Orb are Avène, Bédarieux, Le Bousquet - d'Orb, Hérépian, Lamalou -les- Bains, La Tour-sur -Orb and Ville -l'Argentière. While this reduction was operated by coal in the past, the landscape is today known for its thermal springs ( Avène, Lamalou -les- Bains ).
Plateau des Lacs
In the center of the Natural Park is an area rich in lakes, which was created by damming of several major rivers. They are:
- Lac des Saints- Peyre, southeast of Anglès, dam of the river Arn
- Lac de la Raviège, west of La Salvetat -sur -Agout, dam the river Agout
- Lac du Laouzas, northeast of La Salvetat -sur -Agout, dam the river Vèbre
Montagne Noire
The landscape Montagne Noire is located in the southwestern part of the nature park. However, within the park boundaries is just the heavily forested northern slope of the ridge and the wide Talfurche the river Thoré that is relatively highly industrialized. Main locations are: Dourgne, Labrugière, Mazamet and Saint -Amans -Soult. The Montagne Noire are a very rich source landscape, many of the leading south headwaters were derived for the irrigation of the shipping channel Canal du Midi. The highest point is the Pic de Nore ( 1,211 m).
Vignes et Vallées
The name means in German vineyards and valleys and describes the area in the southeast of the nature park quite vividly. There is a gradual transition from the Montagne Noire in the Minervois and the lowlands of the Aude Valley. Numerous rivers and streams strive towards the south or southeast, including the Orb, and open with their valley furrows the Mediterranean climate access, which can be operated along the rivers viticulture here already, which is attributed to the vineyards of Minervois, Saint- Chinian and Faugères. The main locations are: Saint -Pons -de- Thomières, Olargues, as well as many small wine towns like Minerve, Saint -Jean -de- Minervois, Roquebrun and Vieussan.
Fauna and Flora
The Regional Natural Park of Haut Languedoc has a large variety of natural influences: The Mediterranean- influenced zone is formed by heat and drought landscape with small rainy episodes. This allows the existence of a remarkable flora and fauna. One finds downy oak, garrigue and maquis as floor covering. The oak here develops in special positions, such as on tops, burrs, or in ravines.
The embossed by the Atlantic climate zone is a landscape with large elevations. It has a deep green and forms the livelihood of many tree species such as beech, oak, and several species of conifers, such as Douglas fir, which were introduced by human hand. You will also agricultural land and grassland and heathland. Also peat bogs are common and offer the drought a supply of green fodder.
The territory of the nature park is home to about 250 species of birds, 120 of which nest here regularly, and 26 bat species. 170 species are classified as remarkably, a large part is protected at the national and European level. Some of them have become almost emblematic of the Haut-Languedoc:
- Bonelli's eagle
- Little Owl
- Rotkopfwürger
- Langfußfledermaus
- Small genet
- Otter
- Trout
- Clawed crayfish
- Freshwater pearl mussel
In the area of Caroux massif also a herd of mouflon was settled, which was originally imported from Corsica.
The flora includes about 2500 species of flowering plants, many of which are endemic and are under special protection. Among the rarest representatives may be mentioned sundew, gold leek, Thrift and black cumin.