--- title: "Parc National de Forêts, Burgundy: Walks and Wildlife" description: "A national park created in 2019 for lowland oak and beech forest, home of the black stork. Half a day or more, 1 h 30 to 2 h from Beaune by driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/parc-national-de-forets lang: en updated: 2026-09-30 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/parc-national-de-forets.png --- # Forests National Park (Parc national de forêts) > Forests National Park: France's newest national park, created to protect vast lowland forests of oak and beech. Forests National Park is in Leuglay (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 23 by road (115 km) from Beaune. Allow half a day to a full day · Private driver from Beaune: €300 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Parc national de forêts spreads across the plateaus between Burgundy and Champagne, north of Châtillon-sur-Seine. Created in 2019, it is the first French national park devoted to lowland broadleaf forest. Its woods, springs, tufa marshes and small stone villages make it a peaceful place for walking and wildlife watching. ## Key facts - Type: Nature & viewpoints - Where: Leuglay · Côte-d'Or - Location: 90 km north of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.8150, 4.7928 - 1 h 23 from Beaune - Allow half a day to a full day - Leuglay - Official website: [forets-parcnational.fr](https://forets-parcnational.fr/fr) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 23 · 115 km - €300 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 23 by road (115 km), €300 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The project was announced at Leuglay, in the Côte-d'Or, on 27 July 2009, and a public body set up there to prepare it. After years of consultation, the park was created by decree on 6 November 2019, as the eleventh national park in France. Its core covers 56,614 hectares, 95 percent of it forest, spread over the great forests of Châtillon, Arc-en-Barrois and Auberive. In December 2021 a further decree created an integral reserve of 3,087 hectares inside the park, where the forest is left to evolve naturally. The territory also counts around 700 kilometres of rivers and streams and about a hundred tufa marshes, fed by springs that deposit limestone. Walkers may roam freely in the core of the park, although some areas can be closed at times to protect sensitive wildlife. ## What you will see This is a place for slow days outdoors. Marked trails run through tall beech and oak forest, along clear streams and past springs and tufa marshes. In the Côte-d'Or part, the Cirque de la Coquille at Étalante is a protected natural amphitheatre where the Douix spring rises. In autumn, the park runs guided outings to hear the red deer rut, and the rare black stork nests in the deep woods. ## Planning your visit The Côte-d'Or side of the park lies between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours from Beaune. Combine a forest walk with the Vix treasure in Châtillon-sur-Seine. Bring walking shoes, water and a map, as villages and services are few. Some guided outings must be booked. Please check the official website for opening times of visitor points and the events calendar. ## Did you know? The black stork is the emblem of the park. According to the park, about 20 percent of all the black storks in France nest in these forests. ## Around Forests National Park What to combine with Forests National Park on the same day, nearest first. ### Things to do - [Douix Spring (Source de la Douix)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/source-de-la-douix), 17 km away: A powerful karst spring bursting from a limestone cliff in the heart of Châtillon-sur-Seine. - [Châtillonnais Museum and the Vix Treasure (Musée du Pays Châtillonnais, Trésor de Vix)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-du-pays-chatillonnais-tresor-de-vix), 17 km away: Home of the Vix krater, the largest known metal vessel from Western classical antiquity. ### Restaurants - [Château de Courban](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/chateau-de-courban) (12 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred country-house orangery in the far north of Côte-d'Or, on the edge of the national forest park ## Questions about Forests National Park ### How far is Forests National Park from Beaune? Forests National Park is about 1 h 23 from Beaune by road (115 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €300 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Forests National Park take? For the visit, allow half a day to a full day. ### When is Forests National Park open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (forets-parcnational.fr) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Can a private driver take us to Forests National Park? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:forets): €300 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - --- Canonical page: