The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape


World Heritage Identification Number: 1153

World Heritage since: 2011

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇫🇷 France

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean Agro-Pastoral Cultural Landscape: A Millennia-Old Relationship Between Man and Nature

The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean Agro-Pastoral Cultural Landscape is a remarkable testament to the longstanding symbiotic relationship between humans and their natural environment. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, this expansive region spanning over 302,319 hectares in central France offers a unique insight into the intricate balance between agriculture, livestock rearing, and the physical landscape.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This 302,319 ha property, in the southern part of central France, is a mountain landscape interspersed by deep valleys that is representative of the relationship between agro-pastoral systems and their biophysical environment, notably through drailles or drove roads. Villages and substantial stone farmhouses on deep terraces of the Causses reflect the organization of large abbeys from the 11th century. Mont Lozère, inside the property, is one of the last places where summer transhumance is still practiced in the traditional way, using the drailles.

Encyclopedia Record: Causses and Cévennes

The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southern part of central France with over three millennia of agro-pastoral history.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 302,319 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement

Coordinates: 44.2202777778 , 3.4730555556

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Image of The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape

© Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: France

Flag of France

Official Name: French Republic

Capital: Paris

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 68,516,699

Population (2023): 68,287,487

Population (2022): 68,065,015

Land Area: 547,560 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Causses and Cévennes, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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