Réserve naturelle nationale du massif du Ventron, Nature reserve in Grand Est region, France.
The Réserve naturelle nationale du massif du Ventron covers 1,647.08 hectares across five communes in the Haut-Rhin and Vosges departments, from 720 m up to the Grand Ventron summit at 1,204 m. Its four landscape types are granite cliffs and scree, high-altitude grasslands called hautes chaumes, beech-fir forest, and about fifty peat bogs. A fallen moss-covered trunk and a stripped, weathered stump stand among the trees.
Protection began in 1989 when a major dam project in the region prompted establishment of this reserve as ecological compensation. This action preserved the natural mountain ecosystem for future generations.
The high pastures, called hautes chaumes, were cleared in the past and have long served as summer grazing grounds for Vosges cattle. The name Grand Ventron designates the summit at 1,204 m, the reserve's highest point. Family picking of berries and mushrooms is still allowed, up to 3 litres per person per day.
Walking is free on the marked trails, but from December to June some paths are closed; summer is the recommended season, as spring and winter disturb the wildlife. Camping and fires are banned. Picking berries and mushrooms is allowed up to 3 litres per person per day for family consumption.
In 2021, 257 hectares of the reserve's beech-fir forest were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage, part of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. The reserve also holds Natura 2000 status, and its integral forest reserve of 300 hectares shelters the capercaillie.
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