causses

The Causses are a group of high, flat-topped limestone plateaus in southern France, forming a distinct landscape on the western edge of the Massif Central. The term derives from the Occitan word for a limestone plateau.

Geographically, the Causses extend across parts of the departments of Aveyron, Lozère, Lot and Gard. The best known massifs are the Grands Causses, including the Causse Méjean, Causse du Sauveterre and Causse du Larzac, along with several other Causses such as those of Quercy. The bedrock is Cretaceous limestone, and karst processes have produced caves, dolines and extensive canyon systems that interrupt the plateaus and carve deep gorges by rivers such as the Tarn, Jonte, Dourbie and Lot.

Landscape and ecology describe the plateaus as dominated by sparse vegetation, steppe-like grasslands and scrub, shaped by long dry periods and traditional pastoral management. Dry stone walls outline fields and pastures. The Causses have a long history of transhumant sheep and cattle farming, with many hamlets perched on limestone benches that overlook the valleys below.

Culture and economy: the Causses are notable for their pastoral heritage and regional products such as Roquefort cheese, which is aged in limestone caves near Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Grands Causses. Tourism, hiking and cave exploration also contribute to the local economy, reflecting the landscape’s unique combination of geology and rural culture.

Protection and recognition: the Causses, together with the Cévennes, form the UNESCO World Heritage Site Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral landscape, recognized for its distinctive karst landscapes and centuries-old transhumant practices.