A forest bigger than paris
Enjoy a privileged moment in nature to break with everyday life and fall under the spell of birdsong and a palette of colors in the 6th biggest forest of France, bigger than Paris itself!
The former forest of the Kings of France
The forest of Retz was part of the Royal Estate until the French Revolution.
It has been property of the Kings and Princes of France for centuries.
In 1530, after his captivity in Madrid, King François 1er decided to have a castle built in Villers-Cotterêts mainly because of the surrounding forest of Retz which was, already at that early time, one of the biggest of Europe. The kings and princes of France enjoyed it especially to practice hunting.
Natural Heritage
Far from the stress of the city, nice discoveries are waiting for you: the forest hides remarkable natural heritage and some unusual treasures! Many ancient legends come from these woods, and it isn’t impossible if, at the turn of the Clouise Stone, a huge monolith from the Neolithic, you came across a druid or some fairies.
The forest is essentially a beech forest. Thirty remarkable trees are identified here and there. It is home to many common species including the majestic deer, the emblematic animal of royal hunts. There are also rarer species, today protected, such as the salamander, the black woodpecker and the Rhinolophus, a species of little bat.
Nowadays, the forest is managed by the Office National des Forêts. The forest of Retz has been labelled Forêt d’Exception ® in 2022.
Fancy a hike in the forest ?
With its 600 kilometres of road and paths, the forest of Retz is also the best place to practice hiking.
