Photo : Hagen de Merak / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Tourbière de la Plaine Jacquot
The Plaine Jacquot peat bog occupies the floor of a valley in the Cézallier, in the communes of Compains and La Godivelle. It settled in a depression of glacial origin, hollowed out within basalt lava flows. It is among the most interesting peat bogs in Auvergne.
Peat bogs are wet environments where dead plants accumulate slowly without decomposing. This one shelters several protected plants, among them Scheuchzeria palustris, round-leaved sundew, marsh rosemary and cranberry.
A discovery trail on wooden boardwalks lets you observe the flora and fauna without damaging the environment. It is accessible from the Maison des tourbières, at Saint-Alyre-ès-Montagne, where educational walks with a guide are offered. The bog lies on the Cézallier plateau, in an open landscape of summer pastures, not far from the lakes of La Godivelle.
