Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena
Natural
1434
2018
Natural
Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena is a UNESCO World Heritage natural, inscribed in 2018 (WHS 1434).
Criteria & Perimeter
Inscription criteria
(viii)
Category
Natural
Summary
Situated in the centre of France, the property comprises the long Limagne fault, the alignments of the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes and the inverted relief of the Montagne de la Serre. It is an emblematic segment of the West European Rift, created in the aftermath of the formation of the Alps, 35 million years ago. The geological features of the property demonstrate how the continental crust cracks, then collapses, allowing deep magma to rise and cause uplifting at the surface. The property is an exceptional illustration of continental break-up – or rifting – which is one of the five major stages of plate tectonics.
Monuments in the Zone
Selection of protected monuments
- Château d'Avaray — Avaray
- Manoir dit La Grande Maison — Nogent-le-Rotrou
- Ancien rempart gallo-romain — Bourges
- Eglise de L'Hermenault — L'Hermenault
- Eglise de Vouvant — Vouvant
- Château de Souché de Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu — Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu
- Immeuble de Châteaudun — Châteaudun
- Ancienne usine Marcel Bloch — Déols
- Château de la Mesnerie — La Chapelle-sur-Erdre
- Maison de Angers — Angers
- Forge de la Hunaudière (ancienne) — Sion-les-Mines
- Château de Rochecotte — Saint-Patrice
- Dolmen dit La Pierre qui Tourne — Morancez
- Immeuble de Châteaudun — Châteaudun
- Couvent de Bethanie de Ecommoy — Ecommoy
Appellations of the Landscape
Most-reviewed Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.