On July 2nd 2018, The Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault Tectonic Arena was the first French natural site to be registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an exceptional geological site.
Located on 57 hectares at the heart of this natural showcase, Vulcania is a place for scientific mediation and is highly-recognised for its educative value to the public.
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), created in 1945 to maintain peace between peoples, is the initiator of the World Heritage programme with a specific objective: to preserve places of universal value so that they can be passed on to future generations.
The World Heritage List includes more than 1,000 sites.
With 44 sites on the list, France is one of the most represented countries, with the Loire Valley, Reunion Island, the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave and the vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne, among others.
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2018, the Chaîne des Puys – Limagne Fault tectonic mecca is the fourth most important natural site in France, and the first in the country, as the other natural sites are all islands.
The listing of the Chaîne des Puys – Faille de Limagne complex is therefore a major first for France as a whole.
Vulcania’s impeccable integration into the landscape, its scientific and educational values, its dynamism as a tourist attraction and its willingness to work as part of a network with other interpretation sites are all strong commitments on Vulcania’s part to becoming one of the major interpretation sites for exploring this universal heritage!
Vulcania works to preserve and valorise its environment. The parc is also playing a major role in the mediation of Auvergne volcanoes in order to improve their understanding and recognition.
Several animations already are dedicated to the understanding and reading of The Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault Tectonic Arena and its amazing heritage:
Find out all the animations designed to discover and understand this amazing heritage. All of them are gathered in a visit tour avalaible for free on the Vulcania App (the app is in French). Admire the Chaîne des Puys from the sky with Premier envol (First flight), discover the astonishing Auvergne volcanoes’ geology with ‘Expo Chaîne des Puys (Auvergne volcanoes exhibition)…
Accompanied by a Vulcania guide, you will know everything about the Auvergne volcanoes and the Chaîne des Puys.
Stays
Take advantage of our special offers for a stay in Auvergne, including a visit to Vulcania: you can also add a visit to the Puy-de-Dôme with the Panoramique des Dômes cogwheel train, L’Aventure Michelin or ASM Expérience.
The longer you stay, the more you visit and the more you save!