Le Plateau des 1000 Étangs

Between the Ognon and Breuchin Valleys stretches the vast Plateau of the Thousand Ponds, a veritable mosaic of land and water which was fashioned, some 12,000 years ago, as the last glaciers of the Vosges retreated.

The plateau, 220 sq km of land and marsh, stretches from Lure (the sub-Prefecture of Haute-Saône), to Faucogney, via Melisey and Servance. A wonderful lesson in what nature can provide!

The ponds are by no means natural. They were created from the 11th century onwards by "monk clearers" from the Abbey at Luxeuil-les-Bains. For many years, they were the area's chief resource.