You do not need to be a lover of nature to visit the Nature Park House in Bon-Secours (Péruwelz). It's a great place to revive your naturalist intelligence and brush up your knowledge on the forest in a quiet atmosphere. At first glance, the House looks like a school project gone out of control but a closer look reveals a bit more.
Here's some of the activities you could consider for a start:
- Benches and tables to start your visit with a pick-nick
- Four forest walks of varying length (free)
- The Forest Halt, a didactic exhibition on trees, animals, insects, mushrooms, plants and fruits that can be found in the forest (entrance fee)
- A 16-meter high Tree-Top Walk giving an unusual view of the forest (entrance fee)
A few comments from the other members in our group on the visit:
- I enjoyed the pick-nick in the forest setting.
- Good didactic displays in 3 languages. Sometimes a bit too much information, and at times hard to read in a dark lighting condition.
- I liked the display on birds, showing a video on 8 forest birds at the click of a button.
- I enjoyed the 'tree horoscope' (a display at the entrance of the Forest Halt showing which tree corresponds to my birthday).
- The tree-top walk is a bit short.
The Nature Park House has a broader mission to bring people closer to nature and its team also promotes sustainable development. The site is definitely off the beaten track - it may receive a few dozen visitors on a good day but deserves more.
Practical
The Nature Park House is about 100 km South-West from Brussels, reachable through a 1 hour drive. The visit to the House and the tree-top walkaway takes around 1.5 hours. Check the website for opening times and address.
The site is not far from Bernissart where the famous Iguanodon's have been discovered. If you like dinosaurs, you can visit the Museum of the Iguanodon. Also the Archeosite of Aubechies is just a stone's throw away.
In summary
We enjoyed a quiet, welcoming atmosphere. The visit is of great educational value for children and adults alike. Documentation is well prepared and offered in 3 languages. There is a small shop with regional products.
