The Regional Natural Park of the Morvan is the rich heart of Burgundy and transverses all 4 of Burgundy’s departments. The Morvan is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of France but to think the area is only about it’s stunning scenery would be a mistake. The people of the Morvan are what really makes this area so special, they are warm, welcoming and extremely proud of their history and cultural heritage.

In this review I have differed, I have not individualised towns as this area is more about it’s whole rather than a sum of it’s parts.

So what is the Morvan? Well basically it is a large lump of granite that extends from the north of the Massif Central. The very name “Morvan” is a derivation of the Celtic “Mar” meaning Black and “Vand” meaning mountain, obviously that is how the Celts saw it, as a Black Mountain, because of the dark colouring of its granite outcrops. At it’s highest point, Haut-Folin, it reaches to 901 meters above sea level but it is deceptive as you drive though because many of the granite tops have been eroded giving it a smooth undulating appearance, it is sometimes difficult to realise you are on what the French classify as a Middle Mountain range.

Regular snow and slightly higher rainfall on the peaks of the Morvan result in many small rivers being formed that flow down to the lower points, these rivers and the fact that 50% of the Morvan is forest form the real beauty of the area with its multitude of small lakes surrounded by both deciduous and coniferous forests broken up by small farms, villages and hamlets and not to forget the very important large man-made lakes, Pannecière, Settons, Chaumeçon, Saint-Agnan and Crescent.

As the result of this the Morvan has a rich ecosystem but like all such places it balances on a knife edge and pollution, the pulling up of hedge rows or the reduction in leafy trees could spell disaster. To guard against such threats the Morvan was declared a Regional Nature Park in 1970 by the French Government to control the environment, protect the areas heritage and further eco-friendly commerce and tourism. 

History 

The history of the Morvan goes back to Gallo-Roman times during which time the Morvan was integral in the defence against the invasion of Julias Caesar. In 52BC, on Mount Beuvray, a large Gaulle city named Bribracte was the capital of the Gallic tribe of the Eduens. It is here that the Galls structured their defences against the invasion by Julius Caesar whilst uniting behind one leader, Vercingétorix. Famously the Galls were defeated and Bribracte became “lost” until recent times with Autun, 20kms away, becoming the Roman built centre of the area. Today Bibracte is an active archaeological site giving an insight into Gallic life at the time. Bibracte can be visited with tour commentary provided in many languages.

In the mid 19C the Morvan saw a strong evolution. Paris was in need of the wood that the Morvan could supply but needed to find a method of transportation. In 1858 Lac des Settons was created to allow the “flottage du bois”, floating the wood along the various rivers and man-made lakes and canals to get to its destination, the River Seine and then to Paris, via the Rivers Cure and Yonne. Shortly afterwards, following the floods of Paris in 1910, the other great lakes of the Morvan, including the largest of these, Pannecière, were created to help control the flow of water to the Seine and radically reduce the possibility of further such damaging floods. Today these lakes form an integral part of the wild life and tourism of the Morvan providing not only habitation for the multitude of birds and animals but also a great variety of watersports for the visitor to the region.

More recently the Morvan was highly active during the 2^nd World War with many cells of the French Resistance. The Morvan, with its forests and rugged terrain, provided perfect ground for the Resistance to take on the invading armies but during this time revenge was taken not only on individuals but in some cases whole villages that were simply destroyed along with all of their inhabitants. The administration centre for the Morvan at St-Brisson houses a museum dedicated to the activities bravery of these individuals.  

Nowadays the Morvan provides a perfect haven for those who seek time with nature whilst also providing interest in the various activities that can be found such as fishing, horse riding, walking, cycling, sailing and even quad biking.

Côte d'Or

Nièvre

Saône-et-Loire

Yonne