Vercors Regional Natural Park

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.

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

Geography

Set upon a limestone plateau south of Grenoble, the park extends into the French Western Alps.^{[citation needed]} It spans two departments, Drôme and Isère, and covers a total area of 135,000 hectares (330,000 acres).^[1] The plateau's main elevation reaches 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) while the eastern Alpine mountain ridge tops 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) with Le Grand Veymont (2341m).^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]} The area was officially designated a regional natural park in 1970.^[1]

The village of Pont-en-Royans perched on the edge of the Vercors

Member communes

The Vercors parklands include the following communes:^[4]

Auberives-en-Royans Autrans Beaufort-sur-Gervanne Beauvoir-en-Royans Bouvante Chamaloc Château-Bernard Châtelus Châtillon-en-Diois Chichilianne Choranche Clelles Cognin-les-Gorges Combovin Corrençon-en-Vercors Crest Die Échevis Engins Gigors-et-Lozeron

Glandage Grenoble Gresse-en-Vercors Izeron La Chapelle-en-Vercors La Motte-Fanjas La Rivière Lans-en-Vercors Laval-d'Aix Le Chaffal Le Gua Léoncel Lus-la-Croix-Haute Malleval-en-Vercors Marignac-en-Diois Méaudre Miribel-Lanchâtre Le Monestier-du-Percy Montaud Omblèze Oriol-en-Royans

Percy Plan-de-Baix Ponet-et-Saint-Auban Pont-en-Royans Presles Rencurel Rochechinard Romans-sur-Isère Romeyer Rovon Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors Saint-Andéol, Drôme Saint-Andéol, Isère Saint-André-en-Royans Saint-Gervais Saint-Guillaume Saint-Jean-en-Royans Saint-Julien-en-Quint Saint-Julien-en-Vercors Saint-Just-de-Claix Saint-Laurent-en-Royans

Saint-Marcellin Saint-Martin-de-Clelles Saint-Martin-en-Vercors Saint-Martin-le-Colonel Saint-Michel-les-Portes Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte Saint-Paul-lès-Monestier Saint-Pierre-de-Chérennes Saint-Romans Saint-Thomas-en-Royans Saint-Paul-de-Varces Sainte-Croix Sainte-Eulalie-en-Royans Treschenu-Creyers Vachères-en-Quint Vassieux-en-Vercors Villard-de-Lans Vinay

Partially affiliated Claix Fontaine Noyarey Saint-Quentin-sur-Isère Sassenage Seyssinet-Pariset Seyssins Varces-Allières-et-Risset Veurey-Voroize

See also

• List of regional natural parks of France
• Maquis du Vercors

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.
2. Nicola Williams; Oliver Berry; Steve Fallon (2009). France. Lonely Planet. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-74104-915-2. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
3. Charles Edwin Closmann (2009). War and the environment: military destruction in the modern age. Texas A&M University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-60344-169-8.
4. Maison du Parc (2011). "Un Parc, 85 communes" (in French). Parc naturel régional du Vercors. Retrieved 19 October 2011.

External links

• Official park website (in French)