Forêt domaniale de Grésigne, National forest in Tarn, France.

The Forêt domaniale de Grésigne is a state-owned forest between the Aveyron, Vère and Cérou valleys, bordered to the north by limestone plateaus and to the south-east by the causse de Cordes. Sessile oak makes up 60% of the stand and pedunculate oak 15%, the largest sessile oak forest in southern France. The GR 46 long-distance path runs along it, and a dirt and gravel path lined with low wooden benches passes beneath tall trunks and overhanging foliage.

The forest developed through managed forestry practices over centuries and served as an important resource for local communities. During World War II it provided shelter for resistance fighters fleeing occupied Europe.

The forest's name comes from the grès sandstone that glassmakers used to blow a green-blue glass, burning large amounts of wood in their furnaces. Writer and storyteller Gudule, who lived in the Tarn, set several traditional tales here, with recurring characters the little queen of Montmiral and a goblin named Reno.

The forest is crossed by the long-distance footpath GR 46, and a Sentier du Patrimoine links the forest to the Conservatoire d'espèces fruitières et vignes anciennes created in 1985 between the pech de Puycelsi and the forest entrance. The massif has no permanent settlement, so walkers should carry water and a map; the dirt and gravel tracks are bordered by low wooden benches where you can rest.

The forest holds 2,380 inventoried beetle species, the third-highest count of any French forest. Many depend on dead and ageing trees, and the sessile oak that makes up 60% of the stand provides much of that habitat. Look for fallen trunks left in place along the paths.