Protected Areas and Natural Landscapes Surrounding Réserve naturelle régionale des Grottes du Cirque

Réserve naturelle régionale de la grotte de la Baume: Regional Nature Reserve Atlas

Mapping karst cave systems and bat habitats in Haute-Saône

The Réserve naturelle régionale de la grotte de la Baume protects a limestone cave system on the edge of the plateau near Échenoz-la-Méline. Its small but intensive protected perimeter serves as a vital hibernation site and autumn transit corridor, forming part of a broader ecological network across the Franche-Comté landscape.

Area

0.175 km²

Established

2015

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle nationale du Sabot de Frotey: Geographic and Protected Area Overview

Limestone plateau and calcareous grasslands in Haute-Saône

Located near Vesoul, the Réserve naturelle nationale du Sabot de Frotey features a prominent southwest-facing cliff and a rich expanse of dry grassland. This nature reserve provides critical habitat for orchids and diverse butterfly assemblages within a landscape defined by erosion-shaped monoliths and Mediterranean-edge flora.

Area

0.98 km²

Established

1981

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle régionale de la tourbière de la Grande Pile: Regional Nature Reserve

Protected peatland ecosystems and climate archive in eastern France

This regional nature reserve provides a compact study of peatland development and palaeo-environmental history. It preserves diverse wetland habitats at the edge of the Vosges saônoises, offering a rich environment for rare flora and dragonfly species within the wider Région des Mille étangs.

Area

0.593 km²

Established

2016

Relief

Lowland

Climate

Temperate

Réserve naturelle régionale du Crêt des Roches: Protected Landscape and Geography Atlas

Lomont range limestone corniche and regional nature reserve map

Situated southeast of Pont-de-Roide-Vermondans, this regional nature reserve preserves a compact forty-three hectare area of Jurassic limestone cliffs and mesophilic forests. The site provides a critical reference point for studying Mediterranean-margin flora, including rare relict plant populations, and stands as a major topographical observation corridor for autumn bird migrations in eastern France.

Area

0.434 km²

Established

2009

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle régionale de la grotte de la Baume noire Protected Area Map and Geography

Regional karst landscape in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

This 19-hectare reserve in the Monts de Gy is defined by its Jurassic limestone geology and protected cave systems. The site remains a primary focal point for monitoring subterranean bat habitats and maintaining the ecological integrity of the surrounding deciduous forest landscape.

Area

0.191 km²

Established

2015

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle régionale de la basse vallée de la Savoureuse: Regional Nature Reserve

Protected alluvial floodplain geography in Doubs, France.

This nature reserve safeguards a significant fragment of the Savoureuse river floodplain. The protected area offers a complete alluvial sequence within 42 hectares, including active gravel bars and mature ash-alder woodlands, providing a high-density ecological core amidst an industrial landscape in the Doubs department.

Area

0.419 km²

Established

2008

IUCN

IV

Relief

Lowland

Réserve naturelle régionale du vallon de Fontenelay: Protected Area Atlas and Map

High-density marly grasslands and wetland seepage slopes

Situated in the Haute-Saône department, this nature reserve features a distinct valley landscape formed by marly soil and limestone. Explore the site's rich biodiversity including alkaline marshes and its significant role in the regional conservation network for northeastern France.

Area

0.416 km²

Established

2010

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle nationale de la grotte du Carroussel: Limestone Cave and Bat Reserve

Protected underground landscapes in the Haute-Saône region

Investigate the unique geographic setting of the Réserve naturelle nationale de la grotte du Carroussel. Located on a forested limestone plateau in the Val de Saône, this nature reserve serves as an essential maternity and hibernation site. Learn about its cave morphology, protected forest boundaries, and role within the regional ecological network.

Area

0.023 km²

Established

1990

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle régionale de la grotte de Beaumotte: Protected Karst and Cave Landscapes

A regional nature reserve focused on subterranean conservation.

Located in the Haute-Saône department, this regional nature reserve protects a critical limestone cave system that supports complex subterranean ecosystems and bat species of regional concern. The site occupies a modest surface area on the edge of the Monts de Gy massif, yet provides significant geological and ecological value through its horizontal gallery network and captured springs.

Area

0.088 km²

Established

2015

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle nationale du ravin de Valbois: Protected Jura Blind Valley and Limestone Ravines

Geographic landscape exploration of the Doubs department's protected natural reserve.

Spanning 235 hectares, this protected nature reserve in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté preserves a textbook Jura reculée. The terrain showcases vertical limestone cliffs, deep forested ravines, and a 40-meter cascade. As a hotspot for butterfly diversity and Mediterranean-montane vegetation, the area offers a significant study in microclimatic gradients and old-growth forest conservation within the French landscape.

Area

2.35 km²

Established

1983

IUCN

IV

Relief

Mountain

Réserve naturelle régionale des grottes de Chenecey: Protected Karst and Limestone Cliffs

Regional Nature Reserve in the Doubs, France

This nature reserve protects a diverse mosaic of habitats along the Loue valley. The site integrates surface calcareous grasslands with fragile underground cave galleries, providing critical refuge for rare bat species. It represents a significant conservation effort in the Jura region, mapping the intersection of subterranean voids and exposed limestone terrain.

Area

0.214 km²

Established

2017

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Réserve naturelle régionale du gouffre du Creux à Pépé: Protected Karst and Bat Landscapes

Jura foothills nature reserve with critical cave habitats

Located in the Doubs department, the Réserve naturelle régionale du gouffre du Creux à Pépé protects a rare limestone sinkhole within a mosaic of dry calcareous grassland. This site stands as a key node in regional bat conservation efforts, providing essential wintering and spring transit roosts within the Jura mountain foothills, all anchored by a dense network of biotope and Natura 2000 protective instruments.

Area

0.007 km²

Established

2015

IUCN

IV

Relief

Upland

Franches-Montagnes Nature Reserve: A Detailed Atlas of Jura Plateau and Peat Bog Geography

Protected karst limestone landscapes and highland pasture geography.

The Franches-Montagnes nature reserve spans a unique high plateau in the Swiss Jura, characterized by its complex karst substrate and iconic raised bog systems like the Etang de la Gruère. This protected area supports a mosaic of traditional wooded pastures and wetlands, serving as a primary site for understanding the intersection of human pastoral heritage and sensitive highland ecology.

Area

39.57 km²

Established

1977

Relief

Upland

Climate

Temperate

Réserve naturelle régionale de la tourbière des Charmes: Protected Mountain Peatland Geography

High Vosges mountain wetland and subalpine forest landscape

Located on the granite ridges of the Vosges mountains in the Grand Est region, this nature reserve preserves a vast, perched mountain peatland. Its distinct geographic character includes deep peat deposits and a habitat gradient transitioning from acidic wetland to mature fir and spruce forest, serving as a critical study area for specialized flora and cold-adapted wildlife.

Area

0.68 km²

Established

2008

IUCN

IV

Relief

Mountain

Combe Grède Nature Reserve: Geological Gorge and Protected Mountain Landscape in Bern

Folded Jura limestone terrain and biodiversity hotspots.

The Combe Grède nature reserve presents a striking half-cluse gorge carved into Cretaceous limestone. This protected area within the Canton of Bern showcases an instructive geological sequence, ancient pine stands, and diverse mountain habitats that span from shaded cliffs to alpine pastures.

Area

12 km²

Established

1932

Relief

Mountain

Climate

Temperate

Tourbières et lacs de la montagne jurassienne: Mapping High-Altitude Wetlands and Glacial Landscapes

A vast protected wildlife reserve in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region

Covering more than 12,000 hectares, this wildlife reserve forms a crucial conservation benchmark for peatland and glacial lake systems in the Jura Massif. The landscape encompasses deep combes, broad plateaus, and clear-water basins like Lac de Saint-Point, providing a vital habitat mosaic for diverse flora and fauna across the French highlands.

Area

121.56 km²

Established

2021

Relief

Mountain

Climate

Temperate

Réserve naturelle régionale de la forêt des volcans de Wegscheid: Geological Protected Area

Mapping volcanic terrain in the Grand Est region of eastern France.

Located in the Haut-Rhin, this regional nature reserve preserves a distinct volcanic landscape characterized by rocky promontories, basalt columns, and mature forest stands. The protected terrain features varied elevation from 700 meters to the Rossberg ridge, showcasing geological formations that have remained largely untouched by intensive historical forestry.

Area

1.015 km²

Established

2008

IUCN

IV

Relief

Mountain

Creux du Van et Gorges de l’Areuse Natural Monument and Regional Protected Landscape

Geological exploration of the Folded Jura and Areuse river valley

Spanning the Cantons of Neuchâtel and Vaud, this protected area unites the dramatic rock bowl of the Creux du Van with the narrow, cascading passages of the Gorges de l’Areuse. The site provides a comprehensive view of Jura mountain landforms, highlighting millions of years of river erosion, glacial activity, and karst weathering in a singular, well-defined geographic corridor.

Area

21.21 km²

Established

1876

Relief

Mountain

Climate

Temperate

Réserve naturelle régionale des tourbières de Frasne-Bouverans Protected Landscape Atlas

Peatland mosaic geography in the Drugeon valley of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Trace the boundaries and ecological features of this significant regional nature reserve. Spanning the Forbonnet massif and the wider Drugeon basin, the area features a dense concentration of raised bogs, woodlands, and mire habitats defined by complex glacial geology.

Area

2.926 km²

Established

1986

IUCN

IV

Visitors

17.5K annual

Réserve naturelle régionale Im'Berg: Mapping a Unique Protected Nature Reserve in France

A rare calcareous grassland habitat in the Grand Est region.

Réserve naturelle régionale Im'Berg preserves a sun-drenched limestone slope in the commune of Tagolsheim. Known as the Buxberg, this protected area guards one of the most significant natural boxwood populations in Europe alongside specialized dry-habitat flora. The reserve functions as an essential geographic reference for studying how steep, calcareous terrain creates isolated, warm microclimates within the broader Alsatian landscape.

Area

0.017 km²

Established

2013

IUCN

IV