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A brief introduction to the Nature Park of the Burdinale and Méhaigne Valleys
The Nature Park of the Burdinale and Méhaigne Valleys is situated in the Hesbaye region in the triangle formed by Huy, Andenne, and Hannut.
It groups together 22 villages and hamlets belonging to Braives, Burdinne, Héron, and Wanze; around 15 000 people live in the park.
 
The rivers from which the park takes its name - the Burdinale and the Méhaigne - pass through 11,000 hectares of land, forming the two valleys which are so diverse in their geography, with appealing countryside and extremely well preserved villages. This park gives us the chance to enjoy the interaction between the Hesbaye Plateau and the banks of the Meuse. This co-existence of two different habitats provides us with humid forest ecosystems and valley meadows as well as vast stretches of cultivated land on the Hesbaye Plateau. Hikers thus benefit from varied walks among exceptional flora and fauna and a large number of sites that form part of Natura 2000, the European network of important sites of biodiversity.
 
Rich in natural, historic, cultural, and architectural heritage such as castles and old farms, the nature park is a popular location for both domestic and international tourists who have a respect for the environment and rural life.
 
What our countryside has to offer:
  • Rock (the rocky outcrops on the banks of the Meuse)
  • Water (the sunken and humid Burdinale and Méhaigne valleys)
  • Soil (the fertile agricultural land of the Hesbaye plateau)
The appeal of the Natural Park of the Burdinale and Méhaigne Valleys
  • The quality of biodiversity and countryside
    The low-lying Méhaigne and Burdinale valleys are hemmed in by the Hesbaye Plateau, providing contrasting countryside of great natural interest (arid, humid, and marshy meadows, wooded strips of land, rocky outcrops, hedged farmland, willows, orchards, and lanes). They are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including meadow saxifrage and the Montagu harrier.
  • The quality of well preserved dwellings which have notable aesthetic and architectural qualities shaped greatly by the local availability of materials. This region is home to both Hesbaye brick and Meuse stone.
  • The quality of the region's heritage:
    • The castles (Fallais, Marneffe, Oteppe, Fumal, etc.)
    • The farms and farmsteads of the Hesbaye (Ferme de la Grosse Tour à Burdinne etc.)
    • The water mills (Ferrières, Hosdent, Avennes etc.)
    • The museums (Cycle Museum, Imperial Museum, etc.)
    • The churches, religious monuments, rock formations etc.
  • The quality of our hospitality: The Hirondelle Holiday Resort at Oteppe, self-catering cottages, and B&Bs
  • The quality of our gastronomy and produce: Bierwart "petits gris" snails, Herón marrow, Ciplet butter, fruit wine etc.

For more information, visit the Web site of the nature park. The information that appears here was adapted from its pages.