Arboretum de Pézanin

Dompierre-les-Ormes, France, France

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The Arboretum de Pézanin, also called Arboretum Domanial de Pézanin, is a historic state-owned arboretum located in the Pézanin valley at Dompierre-les-Ormes, Saône-et-Loire, in southern Burgundy, France, created in 1903 by Philippe de Vilmorin of the renowned Vilmorin plant breeding family.

The 27-hectare site covers the valley with 4 to 5 hectares of a central pond and 22 hectares of wooded slopes, hosting nearly 450 to 500 species and varieties of trees and shrubs from all over the world, particularly from North America and Southeast Asia, making it one of the richest and most beautiful arboreta in France.

The arboretum was nearly abandoned from 1923, purchased by the French State in 1935, became a state forest in 1969, and has been managed by the ONF (Office National des Forêts) since 1969, with the ONF developing it for public access in 1971 by installing tree labels, walking paths, botanical trails, and picnic areas.

Visitors can explore three signposted walking trails (1 to 1.5 km each): the blue circuit (1.1 km) circles the pond and is specially designed for people with mobility issues, the green circuit (1 km) covers the north slope, and the red circuit (1.5 km) follows the pond to the marsh then returns via south and east zones, with every tree species labeled for educational visits.