Réserve naturelle nationale de l'île de la Platière, National nature reserve in the Rhône valley, France
The Réserve naturelle nationale de l'île de la Platière is a national nature reserve in the Rhône valley, spread across the municipalities of Sablons, Salaise-sur-Sanne, Le Péage-de-Roussillon, Limony, and Serrières. The land includes wetlands, gravel banks, riparian forests, and quiet side channels that together form a mosaic of riverside habitats.
The Rhône once flowed freely across a wide plain before dikes built in the 19th century channeled its course and opened the land to farming and forestry. In the 1970s, a lateral canal was dug for navigation, which reshaped the landscape and created the mix of lakes, marshes, and gravel banks seen today. The area was officially recognized as a national nature reserve in 1986.
The Réserve naturelle nationale de l'île de la Platière sits along a bend of the Rhône between Lyon and Valence, in a landscape shaped by the back-and-forth between river and land. Visitors can explore the quiet side channels known as lônes, which act as sheltered spots for wildlife and form the heart of the reserve.
The paths through the reserve are easy to walk and suitable for families, but sturdy footwear is a good idea since some sections can get muddy after rain. Certain parts of the reserve are only reachable by a small ferry across the river, which is part of the visit.
Some sections of the forest inside the reserve have never been cut and are considered old-growth woodland along the Rhône. The presence of certain lamprey species, which only survive in clean water, shows that parts of the river here remain in a genuinely natural state.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
