Dark-sky places in France
Of 14 dark-sky places and national parks in France, Port-Cros National Park (of those darker than half of Europe’s land) has the most clear, moonless hours of full darkness: 660 a year (ERA5, 2006–2025). The darkest sky is at Millevaches En Limousin, darker than 93% of Europe’s land (NASA VIIRS 2025).
| Place | Best month | Clear moonless dark hours a year | Darker than… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port-Cros National Park national park | December | 660 | 61% |
| Calanques National Park national park | December | 610 | 14% |
| Mercantour National Park International Dark Sky Reserve · national park | December | 529 | 79% |
| Cévennes National Park International Dark Sky Reserve · national park | September | 409 | 86% |
| Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park International Dark Sky Reserve | October | 401 | 82% |
| Vercors Regional Natural Park International Dark Sky Reserve | December | 392 | 83% |
| Écrins National Park national park | December | 348 | 84% |
| Morvan Regional Natural Park International Dark Sky Reserve | March | 328 | 92% |
| Millevaches En Limousin International Dark Sky Reserve | September | 316 | 93% |
| Forêts National Park national park | March | 312 | 86% |
| Pyrénées National Park national park | December | 305 | 85% |
| Parc national de Fontainebleau national park | March | 296 | 27% |
| Pic du Midi de Bigorre International Dark Sky Reserve | December | 286 | 80% |
| Vanoise National Park national park | December | 285 | 65% |
Climate, not a forecast: these are shares of past nights (ERA5 reanalysis, 2006–2025), not a prediction for a particular night. Check a forecast before you go.