BRGM Éditions: 20 years and 40 guidebooks for the Curiosités géologiques collection

The Curiosités géologiques collection is 20 years old

In 2026, Éditions du BRGM will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Curiosités géologiques collection.

With 40 titles currently listed, this collection aims to acquaint a wide audience with the geology of French territories. Its ambition is to make a complex field of research accessible to the general public by explaining how rocks form over geological time, illustrated by examples from field observations.

The books also include ways of discovering plants, wildlife, architecture and culture in general. All these aspects are tied to specific local environments, often shaped by the history and nature of the subsurface.

Published in 2006, the first guidebook in the series, on the geology of Mayotte, has been followed by many others. Including reprints and an English version of the Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon guidebook, 47 books have been published so far, with up to 5 new titles every year.

The collection now offers a wide choice of destinations in areas that are often attractive and in which geological formations are clearly visible, covering a broad range of regions both in mainland France and its overseas territories.

Illustrated with photos, diagrams and maps, these guidebooks, some of which are co-published with local partners (departmental and regional councils, national parks, regional nature parks, Geoparks, private publishers, etc.), are a useful complement to tourist publications.

Over 30,000 copies sold directly by Éditions du BRGM

In all, over 30,000 copies have been sold directly by BRGM (excluding distribution by partners and co-publishers).

The collection's biggest successes are the Curiosités géologiques du littoral Vendéen and the Curiosités géologiques de la Côte de Granit Rose, with almost 4,000 copies each.