Natural heritage

COUNTRYSIDE AND NATURE

The Moselle is rich in contrasting landscapes, which contribute to the diversity of plant and animal species. To the west the limestone hills are forested with oak and beech, at the foot of which winds the Moselle. This is where you can find elegant orchids in spring and in summer watch rare butterflies and praying mantises. Schools and families can become familiar with these resources at the Buding Centre for environmental education and the Montenach House of Nature.

Further east is the land of the lakes, a paradise for fishermen, fish farming and birds. More than 450 kilometres from the sea, halophyte plants such as samphire unusually populate the shores of the region's salt lakes.

At the gates to Alsace, Moselle’s sandstone Vosges hills constitute a mountain range on a human scale, whose beautiful forests of beech and conifers are occasionally interspersed with peat bogs, which are home to some amazing carnivorous plants. The northern part has also been classified as a World Biosphere Reserve.