Vercors Regional Natural Park Explained

Vercors Regional Natural Park
Location:Rhône-Alpes, Drôme
Isère, France
Coordinates:44.928°N 5.49°W
Established:1970
Governing Body:Fédération des parcs naturels régionaux de France
Website:http://www.parc-du-vercors.fr/

The Vercors Regional Natural Park (French: Parc naturel régional du Vercors) is a protected area of forested mountains in the Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France.

Geography

Set upon a limestone plateau south of Grenoble, the park extends into the French Western Alps. It spans two departments, Drôme and Isère, and covers a total area of .[1] The plateau's main elevation reaches while the eastern Alpine mountain ridge tops with Le Grand Veymont (2341m).

The Vercors area is peppered with caves. During World War II, it served as a safe and defensible position for the French Resistance: Forteresse de la Résistance.[2] The area now contains around three hundred monuments to the Resistance, including a memorial center and the preserved remains of a destroyed village.[3]

In modern times, Vercors has become a popular tourist destination frequented for skiing, hiking and spelunking.[2] Several small communes dot the landscape, supported principally by forestry, shepherding and tourism. The area was officially designated a regional natural park in 1970.[1]

Member communes

The Vercors parklands include the following communes:[4]

Partially affiliated

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: IUCN Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas. 1990 United Nations list of national parks and protected areas. November 1990. IUCN. 978-2-8317-0032-8. 89.
  2. Book: Nicola Williams. Oliver Berry. Steve Fallon. France. registration. 14 August 2011. 2009. Lonely Planet. 978-1-74104-915-2. 25.
  3. Book: Charles Edwin Closmann. War and the environment: military destruction in the modern age. 2009. Texas A&M University Press. 978-1-60344-169-8. 150.
  4. Web site: Un Parc, 85 communes . Maison du Parc . fr . 2011 . Parc naturel régional du Vercors . 19 October 2011 .