Réserve naturelle nationale de la Forêt d'Orient, National nature reserve in Champagne-Ardenne, France.
The Forêt d'Orient National Nature Reserve covers 1,560 hectares across parts of the Orient, Amance and Temple lakes and their surrounding woods. Its habitats range from mudflats and reed beds to oak-hornbeam forest. The reserve lies in the Aube department, 25 km east of Troyes, within the Orient Forest Regional Natural Park.
The Grands Lacs de Seine were built from the 1960s to shield Paris from flooding, and their completion in the 1990s created peripheral natural environments around the lakes. The Forêt d'Orient National Nature Reserve was established by decree on 9 July 2002 to protect 1,560 hectares of lake and forest across the Orient, Amance and Temple lakes.
The reserve is managed by the Orient Forest Regional Natural Park, and its interior is closed to the public. At the Maison du Parc, video cameras installed on the site let visitors follow the reserve's highlights, while the Valois observatory on the outskirts allows watching flora and fauna without disturbance. The site also lies within Ramsar zone no. 5, "Etangs de la Champagne humide".
The reserve interior is closed to the public; observation is possible from the Valois observatory on its outskirts. The Maison du Parc shows live camera feeds from the reserve. The site lies 25 km east of Troyes, across the communes of Amance, Brévonnes, Mathaux, Piney and Radonvilliers.
The site is home to more than 200 bird species, with special mudflat zones created by changing water levels in Temple Lake. These shifting conditions provide crucial habitat for migratory birds and wading birds passing through the region.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,497 contributors worldwide.
