Morvan Regional Nature Park (Parc naturel régional du Morvan)
Burgundy's little mountain of granite, forests and lakes, with its park headquarters at Saint-Brisson.
- Nature and viewpoint
- 1 h 04 from Beaune
- Allow half a day to a full day
- Saint-Brisson
€230one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Official website
- parcdumorvan.org
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 04 by road (82 km), €230 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
The Morvan is a low granite massif of forests, hedged fields, rivers and lakes at the heart of Burgundy, west of Beaune. Since 1970 it has been protected as a regional nature park spanning four departments. The Maison du Parc at Saint-Brisson is the natural place to start, with gardens, trails and small museums.
What you will see
At Saint-Brisson, the park's tourist office gives maps and ideas for walks across the Morvan. A discovery trail follows the shore of the Étang Taureau, and an arboretum presents 17 kinds of tree found in the massif, with a garden of herbs beside the château. The same estate holds the Musée de la Résistance en Morvan and the Maison des Hommes et des Paysages, part of the Morvan ecomuseum.
History
The regional nature park was created on 16 October 1970, on the initiative of Paul Flandin, a local councillor from the Yonne. It set out to protect the landscape while supporting the local economy and tourism. Its charter has been renewed several times, most recently in 2021, and it now brings together some 133 member communes across the Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire and Yonne.
The park bought the estate of Saint-Brisson in 1975 to house its headquarters. The main buildings, a château and its outbuildings, date from 1802 and 1803. They replaced a 17th-century manor attacked during the Revolution in 1793. Below the house lies the Étang Taureau, a reservoir once used to float logs down the river towards Paris, a trade at the heart of Morvan life until the 1920s.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Saint-Brisson is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Beaune. Allow half a day for the estate and a walk, or a full day with the Lac des Settons or Saulieu. Morvan roads are winding, so allow extra time. Please check the official website for opening times of the Maison du Parc and its museums.
Around here
What to combine with Morvan Regional Nature Park on the same day, nearest first.
- Food & markets
Fête de l’Automne et des Associations du Morvan
A weekend in early OctoberSaint-Brisson
Questions
Morvan Regional Nature Park is about 1 h 04 from Beaune by road (82 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €230 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The estate of the Maison du Parc covers 40 hectares. Its Étang Taureau was once a flushing reservoir, released to send loose logs floating down towards Paris.
Sources
Morvan Regional Nature Park with a private driver
€230 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests