Following local museums, identity museums and outdoor museums, Eco-Museums first appeared around 1970 to combine two concepts: ecology and museology. They bear witness to the relationship between humanity and its environment in a given space over time. They are interpretative tools that are likely to start a fascinating exchange between inhabitant and visitor.
An Eco-Museum is a coherent set of heritage sites. In most cases, several days are needed to explore it fully.
Visits and walks are suggested by the National Park and its partners. Eco-Museums are:
- natural: set in a mosaic of natural spaces.
- rural: showcasing landscapes shaped by human hand, with well-integrated villages.
- historical: including sites of remembrance.
- mnemonic: displaying knowledge and techniques adapted to local materials and needs.
- places of welcome and exchange, visit and discovery, offering local products.
This is an area with a strong local identity, and its inhabitants welcome you!
The National Park currently has three Eco-Museums: Mont Lozère, Cévenne, and Causse and Gorges.
Discovery trails
The Park has developed a network of easy-to-access discovery trails. Some of them feature on the Eco-Museums sites. Others are waiting to be discovered outside the Eco-Museums. You can find the free guide leaflets in the Maisons du Parc.