In 1856, Eugène Mazel, a Cévenol with a passion for botany, created the Prafrance bamboo grove, better known under the name of Anduze.
As a young orphan, he was entrusted to the care of his maternal uncle, a wealthy shipowner from Marseille. On his uncle's death, he inherited a fortune which he put to good use in his passion for horticulture and the natural sciences. In 1855, he began work on the Prafrance estate in Générargues, building the irrigation canals essential for plant growth. In 1856, he planted his first trees and tried to acclimatize exotic species from Japan, North America and the Himalayas.
The history of the Bamboo plantation was an eventful one.
In 1890, Eugène Mazel went bankrupt. His property was mortgaged and, separated from his work, he died in Marseille. In 1902, Gaston Nègre bought the Bambouseraie and continued Mazel's work. In 1945, his son Maurice Nègre, an agricultural engineer, took over from his father and, in a forward-looking move, opened the park to the public for an entrance fee. The park was severely damaged by the flooding of the Gardon in 1958.
When Maurice Nègre died in 1960, his wife, Janine Nègre, continued his work. In 1977, his daughter Muriel and her husband took over management of the estate and development of the park.
Since 2004, Muriel Nègre has presided over the destiny of the Bambouseraie.
A unique place in Europe
La Bambouseraie has become a unique site in Europe. The 15-hectare park is home to over 1,000 varieties of bamboo and a wide variety of exotic plants and remarkable trees. The itinerary takes in the giant bamboo forest, the Japanese-inspired garden, the Laotian village and the incredible Dragon Valley. The Bamboo Garden also features a flower garden, a water garden and a labyrinth...
Every year, the Bambouseraie welcomes artists for temporary exhibitions in harmony with nature.
Awarded the Jardin remarquable and Qualité Sud de France labels, the Bambouseraie d'Anduze is now the No. 1 tourist site in the Gard region.
In 2008, the Anduze Bamboo Grove was added to the supplementary list of historic monuments.
The Train à Vapeur des Cévennes, which runs between Anduze and St Jean du Gard, offers passengers the chance to discover this magnificent world, with a stop at the Bamboo Grove.
Stop 7eart
In 1953, the Bambouseraie hosted the filming of Le salaire de la peur (see also Georges Arnaud, le salaire de la peur"), directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and starring Yves Montand and Charles Vanel, and the famous truck loaded with nitroglycerine.
La Bambouseraie is open from March 1 to November 15 - 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. onwards.
Bamboo plantation of Anduze
552 Montsauve,
30140 Générargues
Tel.: 04 66 61 70 47
