Causse

Causse Méjean , 340 km²

Causse is the French term for the large lime - high levels of 700 to 1200 m altitude in the French Massif Central .

They are bounded to the north and west by the Limousin , Périgord and Aubrac mountains and to the east by the Cevennes . The Causses are located in the Cevennes National Park as well as in the Causses du Quercy Regional Nature Park and the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park . The individual causses are separated from each other by deep, steep gorges and river valleys.

The Causses are one of the most impressive landscapes in France due to their austere beauty and the extremely low population density. However, the name plateau is deceptive - the relief is almost always hilly with sometimes bizarre rock formations, for example that of the Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux . Just like these rock formations, many of the landscape forms of the Causses are characterized by karst phenomena such as caves and natural shafts ( French Aven ). Well-known examples of such shafts are the Aven Armand and the Gouffre de Padirac .

The Causses are very poor in water - but this is not because there is little rainfall, but because the rain, as in most karst areas, cannot be retained by the predominant limestone, but seeps almost directly into the ground. Accordingly, large areas appear steppe-like or even almost desert-like. If exceptionally fertile soil has accumulated in a depression ( sinkhole ), intensive farming is often carried out on tiny areas - there is a strong contrast to the stony, barren environment.

The few hollows in which water can collect due to a clayey subsoil (French: Lavognes ) are used as cattle troughs . The rare natural water sources used to be very valuable - there is often a homestead near such a source. Courtyards that are far from such springs used to have to rely on cisterns or laborious water transports. Almost all settlements have only been connected to a modern water supply for a few decades.

Due to the sparse tree growth, a peculiar, practically woodless architecture has developed on the Grands Causses. The function of wooden beam ceilings and roof trusses is fulfilled by stone vaults - even the roofs are covered with natural stone slabs.

The Causses from northwest to south-east:

• The Causses of Quercy in the Lot department :
  • Causse de Martel
  • Causse de Gramat
  • Causse de Limogne
• The Grands Causses:
  • Causse du Comtal ( Aveyron )
  • Causse de Sévérac (Aveyron)
  • Causse de Sauveterre ( Lozère )
  • Causse Méjean (Lozère), with 340 km² the largest of the Causses
  • Causse Noir (Aveyron, Lozère and Gard )
  • Causse du Larzac or Plateau du Larzac ( Aveyron and Hérault )
  • Causse de Blandas in the Gard

Web links

Commons : Causse Méjean  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Franz Lindenmayr: Landscape and caves in the Grands-Causses. Information about the causes