Fontainebleau et du Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve
Fontainebleau et du Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve, Biosphere reserve in Essonne department, France
The Fontainebleau et du Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve spreads across forests, heathlands, wetlands, and farm land in the Essonne region south of Paris. It includes four landscape zones connected together, each with different natural habitats and communities.
The area received UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 1999, building on the creation of France's first nature reserve here under Napoleon III in 1861. This protection has shaped the landscape for generations.
Local farming communities maintain traditional methods visible in the landscape and organize seasonal markets with regional products from the Gâtinais area. You can experience how agriculture and conservation are connected in daily life here.
Marked trails run through four different landscape zones with varying difficulty and length options. It helps to wear appropriate footwear and clothing suited to the season and weather conditions.
The area holds over 2,000 engraved rocks dating back to prehistory, Europe's oldest artistic traces. These ancient stone carvings show that people have lived and worked in this landscape for thousands of years.
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Château des Vives Eaux
16.2 km
Château de Courances
4.6 km
Fontainebleau rock climbing
11.4 km
Moulin de Claude François
6.1 km
Le Cyclop
1.8 km
Château de Chamarande
22.1 km
Castle of Fleury-en-Bière
7.9 km
Château de Farcheville
13.5 km
Château du Saussay
14.9 km
Abbaye Notre-Dame du Lys
17.9 km
Château d'Augerville
16.7 km
Château de Malesherbes
13.1 km
Château de Mesnil-Voisin
19.5 km
Jean Cocteau House
308 m
Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples
589 m
Château de Sainte-Assise
16.7 km
Basilique Saint-Mathurin de Larchant
16.1 km
Château de Vaux-le-Pénil
21 km
Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, Melun
20.8 km
Church Saint-Aspais
21 km
Château de Frémigny
17.6 km
Musée des Peintres de Barbizon
11.3 km
Château de Gillevoisin
21 km
Departmental Domain of Chamarande
22.1 km
Château de Villiers
13.3 km
National Gendarmerie Museum
21.2 km
Château de Milly-la-Forêt
304 m
Table du Roi
17.3 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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