Scheldt Plains Nature Park
The Scheldt Plains Nature Park ( Parc naturel des Plaines de l'Escaut in French ) extends in the Belgian province of Hainaut in the Wallonia region . It is located in the border area with France , Département Nord in the Hauts-de-France region .
The nature park, which was officially founded in 1996, covers an area of 26,000 hectares. Six large communities with 37 locations form the park and represent a total catchment area of around 61,500 residents. These are the communities:
The "House of the Park" is located in Bon-Secours ( 50 ° 29 ′ 54 ″ N , 3 ° 36 ′ 48 ″ E, ).
Heartland of the nature park
The nature park is located in the southwest of Hainaut, between the towns of Tournai , Lille and Mons . In the context of an industrial past, man shaped nature himself here. The Scheldt crosses the nature park between Bléharies and Calonne . But the alluvial land of this river has left its mark on the whole area. Some canals connect the Scheldt Basin with that of the Haine River , such as the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes Canal , the Pommerœul à Condé Canal and the Pommerœul à Antoing Canal . Over the years these waterways have been rebuilt, straightened or widened again and again to facilitate the development of cargo shipping . As a result, water arms were repeatedly cut off and renatured.
The nature park presents a wide variety of landscapes and biotopes :
- large, dense forest areas ,
- Pastures and agricultural areas no longer used for agriculture,
- former canals, wetlands , ponds and swamps ,
- former coal mines and other mining sites
- former sand pits ,
- numerous parks and gardens of castles and residences.
Cross-border cooperation
Across the border is the French Regional Nature Park Scarpe-Schelde ( French Parc naturel régional Scarpe-Escaut ). After initially loose cooperation, the two neighboring nature parks have merged to form the Cross-Border Nature Park Hainaut ( French Parc naturel transfrontalier du Hainaut ).
Web links
- Scheldt Plains Nature Park in Belgium (French)
- Regional Nature Park Scarpe-Schelde (French)
Oxbow of the Scheldt near Bléharis
The sea of sand at Stambruges
The Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes Canal
