Causse

Causse is a term used in southern France to denote large, flat-topped limestone plateaus that form part of the Massif Central’s karst landscape. The word comes from Occitan and is used to describe high, bare uplands that are largely devoid of dense woodland and are dissected by deep river gorges.

Geographically, the best known Causses comprise the Grands Causses: the Causse Méjean, the Causse du Larzac, and the Causse de Sauveterre. They lie principally in the Lozère and Aveyron departments in the Occitanie region, at elevations roughly between 600 and 1,000 meters.

The Causses are formed by the erosion of limestone, creating a karstic landscape with features such as dolines, sinkholes, and extensive limestone pavements. Rivers including the Tarn, Dourbie, and Jonte carve deep gorges along the plateaus’ edges, producing dramatic escarpments. Vegetation is sparse, with scrub and grasses maintained by grazing, and the landscape is traversed by extensive dry-stone walls and traditional shepherd settlements.

Human use has long centered on pastoralism, with sheep and goat herding shaping land use and seasonal transhumance routes. The Causses are also linked to regional products such as Roquefort cheese, which is aged in natural limestone caves in the Roquefort-sur-Soulzon area on the Causse du Roquefort and carries AOC designation.

The Causses are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Causses and Cévennes, designated in 2011 for its Mediterranean agro-pastoral landscapes. The Larzac plateau is notable for a historic late-20th-century protest movement against a military base. The region remains popular for hiking and rock climbing.