Projet Grand Site de France Montségur – EN | Official website of the Office de Tourisme des Pyrénées Cathares

Becoming a Grand Site de France

Aware of the beauty and richness of its territory, the Communauté de Communes du Pays d’Olmes (project centre), encouraged by the DREAL Occitanie, submitted its application to join the Grand Site de France project in July 2016. In November 2016, the French Minister for the Environment, Ségolène Royal, gave the go-ahead for the launch of this demanding initiative.

At the same time, since 2017, the fortress of Montségur has been a candidate for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the process initiated by the Aude department with the Cité de Carcassonne and its sentinel mountain castles . This international initiative feeds into the Grand Site de France project, reinforcing their actions and pooling certain projects and protection areas.

But what is a Grand Site de France project?

This is the process used to obtain the Grand Site de France label, which rewards areas that carry out projects to restore and manage some of the most prestigious and popular heritage sites. The challenge is to preserve, enhance and manage these major, emblematic sites on a long-term basis, as they attract large numbers of tourists and therefore require special attention to respect their environment and ensure their long-term survival.

In addition to Montségur, this operation involves several communes:

Montségur, Montferrier, Bénaix, Bélesta, Fougax-et-Barrineuf, Prades (Ariège) and Comus (Aude).

The Gorges de la Frau (listed site), the Réserve Biologique Intégrale, the Fontestorbes intermittent fountain (listed site) and the Gouffre des Corbeaux. The Monts d’Olmes resort and Roquefixade will also be involved in the project.

PGSF events

Good to know

The exemplary implementation of the PGSF has been rewarded with the Grand Site de France label. This label recognises the sustainable management and exemplary preservation of the site. It is awarded for eight years.

At the end of this period, a new project will be defined to build on the previous one. Obtaining the Grand Site de France classification is therefore a long-term process.

Actions underway

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A multidisciplinary team represented by Alain Quiot, TerreHistoire’s landscape designer, an architect specialising in regional and participatory events, an agricultural engineer, a naturalist, tourism engineers and a consultant specialising in public services, carried out the diagnostic work needed to lay the foundations for the PGSF’s action programme in 2018-2019. The priorities were set:

Reopen the overgrown areas ;
Reduce the impact of industrial activity on the landscape;
Minimising the impact of roads on the landscape;
Structuring and upgrading the area’s tourist industry;
Coordinating stakeholders to preserve and enhance the area.

10 of the 37 actions selected are top priorities, as they are a prerequisite for obtaining the label. Efforts will therefore initially be concentrated on 2 areas:

Improving reception and visitor flow management: 5 actions

1/ Reception (reception building) and landscaping of car parks

2/ Structuring the reception area for the Grand Site / Montségur project: museum and Grand Site house

3/ Upgrade the listed Fontestorbes fountain site – north-east entrance

4/ Upgrade the SAB wasteland at Montferrier – western entrance

5/ Draw up a landscape plan

Preserve and raise awareness of landscape and biodiversity issues: 5 actions

6/ Discover, explore and walk around the Grand Site (definition of a territorial walking plan, maintenance, posting of signs, etc.)

7/ Federate a network of socio-professional players to enhance their activity and promote the values of the Grand Site

8 / Structure and coordinate an educational centre around the challenges of the Grand Site

9/ Create the Maison des Paysages, a branch of the Maison du Grand Site

10/ Draw up and implement a communications plan for the Grand Site

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