← Discover Tournemire

Cirque de Tournemire et Maison du Plésiosaure

Place de la Mairie, 12250 Tournemire

CallWebsiteDirections

Come and take a trip back in time to the Jurassic period! The Tournemire cirque is a remarkable geological feature situated between the Roquefort caves and the Templar and Hospitaller sites.

It was at its foot, in the ‘grey earth’ (clay), that the complete skeleton of a remarkable 180-million-year-old marine reptile was discovered: the Occitanosaurus tournemirensis. Located in the town of the same name, the Cirque de Tournemire Sensitive Natural Area (ENS) covers an area of approximately 130 hectares and marks the boundary between the Avants-Causses and the Causse du Larzac. This area is of great ecological importance, both for the site’s geomorphology and for several natural habitats of European significance. This natural area is home to many remarkable birds, such as the Eurasian eagle-owl, the golden eagle, the subalpine warbler, the wallcreeper, the red-billed chough and even some elusive bats. Visitors can also observe plant species adapted to the terrain and rock formations, and in some cases to the Mediterranean climate, such as Hoppe’s figwort and large-fruited alyssum… The Plesiosaur House displays a replica of the marine reptile’s skeleton (the original is at the Millau Museum) as well as information panels on geology, the plesiosaur, the flora, the birds and the bats. It is also the starting point for the Cirque de Tournemire walking trail, which will allow you to immerse yourself in this unique world, and for the cirque’s interpretive trail. The “Espace Nature Aveyron” mobile app will help you discover all the flora and fauna inhabiting this environment and explore the ENS walk.

Automatically translated

Listing provided by HIT Aveyron (ADAT Aveyron) (updated by the source on 26/10/2026).

Tourist office data: DATAtourisme, Licence Ouverte (French open licence), updated 28 October 2026.