Cultural
The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean Agro-Pastoral Cultural Landscape
Florac-Trois-Rivières, France
Inscribed 2011
Photo : JBouchez (CC BY-SA 4.0)
This cultural landscape encompasses the Causses plateaus and Cévennes mountains in southern France, representing an outstanding example of agro-pastoral land use that has evolved over millennia. The site was inscribed in 2011 for its demonstration of sustainable interactions between human communities and their environment, showcasing traditional farming practices that have maintained ecological balance across the region. Located in Lozère in the Occitanie region, the landscape is characterized by limestone plateaus alternating with deep valleys, where sheep grazing and transhumance (seasonal pastoral migration) have shaped both the terrain and local culture. The visual character of the site is marked by open grasslands, stone terraces, traditional stone buildings, and a network of historic transhumance routes that connect lowland winter pastures to highland summer grazing areas. The landscape reflects centuries of adaptation to the region's Mediterranean and continental climates, with traditional agricultural knowledge embedded in practices that remain partly active today. This inscription recognizes the site as a living cultural landscape where historic land management systems continue to influence contemporary territorial organization and biodiversity.
Location
Florac-Trois-Rivières, France
Inscription
2011
