The night skies have always drawn the human imagination, especially for artists, such as Van Gogh, whose Starry Night Over the Rhone is especially famous for capturing the night sky. In recent years, travellers are learning to look up, perhaps fuelled by the desire to escape the artificial lights of city life. Those wishing to gaze up at the starry French skies can visit several Réserve Internationale de Ciel Étoilé (International Dark Sky Reserves) around the country, where the Milky Way stretches across a star-studded sky.
1. Morvan Nature Reserve
Morvan is the latest nature reserve to be officially designated as a Dark Sky Reserve. It took nine years to reduce light pollution, working with scientists and communities in the reserve and improving infrastructure that creates an ideal environment for highlighting the night sky. There are dedicated observation spots, walking and trail routes through cultural sights, and it runs several nighttime activities and workshops, including storytelling under the stars for enthusiasts to truly appreciate the night sky in Morvan.
2. Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park
While it is possible to simply sit in the reserve to view the stars in the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park, curious visitors can spend their evenings with local astronomy clubs to learn more about the preservation of the night sky and events to raise awareness of light pollution. A nighttime walk or a gentle paddle along the Leyre, through the wild landscapes of Gironde and Landes, reveals a night sky framed by towering forests and dotted with hidden artworks.
3. Regional Natural Park of Millevaches
A lesser-known nature park but no less significant when it comes to the superbly dark night sky is the Regional Natural Park of Millevaches in Limousin. Located on the foothills of the Massif Central, known for Lake Vassivière and the surrounding environmentwith peat bogs, moors, forests, and meadows so pristine that the area is known as ‘Little Canada’. On a clear, bright night, the stars above are reflected across the vast expanse of the lakes, a scene that is just as spectacular as a Van Gogh painting.
4. Pic du Midi
France’s first ever Dark Sky Reserve deserves its place on top for a reason.
This mountainous dark sky spot not only has its own large-scale observatory for some serious stargazing opportunities, but it is also a scientific centre for dark sky research. At the Pic du Midi, stargazing blends a shimmering, star-filled sky with the majestic outline of the Pyrenees, creating a view unlike any other.
5. Regional Natural Park Vercors
Vercors is an area known for its towering limestone cliffs, lush green valleys and rich sporting culture heritage; it’s an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. Naturally, as the day fades into night, this adrenaline-fuelled nature becomes the backdrop for the splashes of stars across its landscape. In summer, the regional park offers guided stargazing experiences in the Rimets Fossil Valley, led by expert astronomers who share their knowledge of the stars and planets as you watch for shooting stars.
6. Cévennes National Park
Nestled between the departments of Lozère, Gard, Ardèche, and Aveyron, Cévennes naturally has less light pollution for the ideal environment to admire the night sky. The deep valleys among the rugged mountains and high plateau make the landscape more dramatic at night, adding to the experience of star sighting like stepping into a fairytale where the night sky summons magical creatures of the surrounding nature.
7. Alpes Azur Mercantour
Shaped by a procession of peaks that slowly dissolve into the sea, the Southern Alps offer a breathtaking natural stage for the night sky, one that has drawn astronomers since the 19th century. From the historic observatory of Mont Mounier to the new observatory opening in Valberg in January 2026, soon to become France’s largest planetarium, this timeless landscape continues to invite both scientists and stargazers to study the stars beneath its vast, dark skies.
Lead photo credit : Landes de Gascogne Photo: Yohan Terraza
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