Espace Naturel Sensible du vallon de Bellefontaine

Champigneulles, France, France

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The Espace Naturel Sensible (ENS) du Vallon de Bellefontaine is a protected natural area located in Champigneulles, just 15 minutes from Nancy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of the Grand Est region in northeastern France.

This cool valley, the most important one on the plateau and within the Haye Forest, features a mosaic of diverse habitats including wetlands, two ponds fed by natural springs, a stream, grasslands, and some calcareous grasslands (pelouses calcaires), all nestled in a wooded valley adjoining the Haye Forest massif.

The site is home to exceptionally rich and diversified nature closely linked to water, with scientific inventories identifying nearly 1,500 animal and plant species between 2004 and 2005, including 100+ heritage species such as the original scorpion fly and the yellow gagea, a mountain plant, and notably the valley harbors one of the largest amphibian populations in the entire department.

The valley was listed as a ZNIEFF (Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Ecologique Faunistique et Floristique) in the 1980s, the Departmental Council acquired most of the land to classify it as a sensitive natural space, and a management plan with 21 objectives was implemented to preserve the natural heritage and its animal and plant diversity while managing visitor access.