"La Nature, grandeur nature" (Spectacular Nature) has been the slogan for the department of Moselle for many years. This phrase may be surprising as the Moselle has a strong reputation of being an industrial area. Although, if you know how to discover and watch, nature is always nearby in Moselle. Forests and permanent Moselle. Forests and permanent meadows cover more than half of the territory.

Several natural sites are protected. Among the biological reserves, there are the pond of Hanau and the peat land in Sturzelbronn. As far as the protection of the biotope is concerned, the alder forest in Belles-Forêts, the stream in Château-Voué and the forest in Hanau are worth mentioning. The following towns have been registered as natural reserves: Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold (Kastelberg), Montenach (limestone grass), Bitche (peatland and grass), Baerenthal (pond) and Hettange-Grande (limestone in Hettangien).

These privileged areas have benefited from the help of two natural regional parks that there are in the department of Moselle. The Natural Regional Park of Lorraine based in Pont-à-Mousson, is divided into 2 non-adjoining parts. On the west side, it encircles hillside villages, where the wine growers used to live, large forests of broad-leafed trees and remains from the 1870 war.

The eastern side is located around Saulnois and the “Pays des Etangs” (land of ponds). The Moselle is part of the Regional Natural Park of the northern Vosges, between Alsace and Moselle and it goes along the “Parc du Palatinat”.