Visit to the House of the Gardon's canyon natural reserve, in Sanilhac
Designed as a cabinet of curiosities, the House of the Gardon's canyon natural reserve completes the offer of the House of the Gardon, in Russan and the House of the Beaver inCollias.
Full of surprises, the house of the natural reserve brings us to know a little more about the history of the river Gardon that sculpted for hundred years the limestone canyon 6 million years ago, the "fragrant, pungent and colourful" garrigue and the forest, both lands of biodiversity "shaped by man " through "the exploitation of firewood, charcoal-burning, gathering" of flowers, herbs and fruits or "pastoralism", We then come to learn the specificities of the flora and fauna of the nature reserve, where many species are now protected.
Feathers, woodcuts, animal skulls, books, butterfly nets, naturalized specimens, all this awaits you in the Maison de la réserve naturelle des gorges du Gardon with, as a bonus, the right to touch the objects on display, to leaf through the books, etc, the true principle of this cabinet of curiosities.
Ideas for walks
The reserve created in June 2001 and covering some 491 ha, has several hiking trails. For example: - from Collias, for those wanting to discover the loop of the Baume, starting from the market place (11.3 kms to be covered in about 3 hours). - There is also the loop of the Baume from Sanilhac-Sagriès, starting from the town hall square (6 kms to be covered in about 1 hour and a half), or - the crossing of the nature reserve (distance 6 km), via the GR6-63 hiking trail.
Good to know : The cabinet of curiosities of the Maison de la réserve was designed by Victoria Klotz, a French artist passionate about "biology, ethnology, archaeology, zoohistory, ethology and ecology". Trained at the Beaux-Arts of Toulouse, she has been sharing her interest in nature and man's relationship with it since the late 1990s.
Many thanks to Albane Truchelut, for her welcome and the presentation of the Maison de la réserve.
Many thanks to UzEssentiel photo partner @pay.attention.to.details
The right address: Maison de la réserve naturelle des gorges du Gardon, Place de la Mairie, Sanilhac. Open from 15 April to 15 September, Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. The whole programme of activities to discover the nature reserve on the Gorges du Gardon website.