The Hauts-Pays Nature Park extends through the territory of 6 villages:

  • Colfontaine, for the Forest of that name;
  • Dour, for the old districts of Blaugies, Petit Dour, Wihéries and the south of Elouges;
  • Frameries, for Sars-la-Bruyère, the south of Eugies and Noirchain;
  • Honnelles, in full;
  • Quévy, in full;
  • Quiévrain for the old districts of Baisieux and Audregnies.

Its area is approximately 15,700 hectares for 20,000 inhabitants.

Its territory occupies part of the watershed separating the country's two main hydrographic basins: the Escaut, via the Haine, and the Meuse, via the Sambre on its French stretch. And as the Haine, at the Franco-Belgian border, is at an altitude of 16 m, this name, "Hauts-Pays", the high country, can easily be understood.

In fact, this border strip is divided into two more or less equal halves, by the only real forest in the Park, the forest of Colfontaine and its dependencies.

To the west, the Haut-Pays de Roisin; to the east the summit of this watershed area, at Blaregnies and Sars-la-Bruyère. And it's adding these two together that makes the title "Hauts-Pays" deservedly plural.

The landscape value of the Hauts-Pays Nature Park as a whole is high. There has been no serious damage to the landscape (no industrial estates or high voltage wires). The landscape is very different from that of neighbouring regions and from what the great majority of the population of surrounding areas (Valenciennes and Mons-Borinage) know and are used to seeing: the presence of forests, rivers, and fast-running streams, waterfalls, steep-sided valleys, promontories, villages nestling in the valley-bottoms and on the tops of plataeux all make a complete change of scene. Thanks to these characteristics, the Hauts-Pays Nature Park is highly attractive for the neighbouring populaces.

And, as an additional attraction, the presence can be noted of many viewpoints overlooking the areas the potential visitors come from (over the valley of the Haine and even the Escaut, the region of Mons and the Borinage, etc.).

On 20th July 2000, the Walloon government approved the recognition of the Hauts-Pays Nature Park and on 8th February 2002, it appointed its management Commission.

Minister José Happart set up the management Commission on 18th April 2002.

The organising Authority:

  • President: Bernard Paget
  • 1st Vice-President: Patricia Lan
  • 2nd Vice-President: Marc Coolsaet
  • 3rd Vice-President: Francis Colette
  • Treasurer: Jean-Michel Dieu
  • Secretary: Brigitte Gallez

The Management Commission:

  • President: Pierre Tachenion
  • 2nd Vice-President: Xavier Verhaegen
  • Treasurer: Guy Lisbet
  • Secretary: Salvatore Miraglia

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