Wetlands – Chevetogne / ATELIER PAYSAGE / Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures / Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures

Wetlands – Chevetogne

Programe: The work concerns a four-hectare portion of the countryside, at the confluence of the Molinia and Mivau streams. These have carved out two small valleys with wooded hills and feed the ponds located at the heart of the park.

The project involves restoring the countryside to a semi-natural state made up of wetlands.
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About: The project is located at the heart of the Chevetogne Estate, which covers an area of approximately 600 hectares of countryside and woodland.

At the centre of this estate, a 200-hectare leisure park welcomes 450,000 visitors every year to its gardens, museums, restaurants, accommodation and recreational, relaxation and exploration spaces.

During the 1970s, a portion was channelled, the meadows were drained and roads were planned in order to set up a caravan site.

Fifty years later, the project involves restoring the countryside to a semi-natural state made up of wetlands.

There are environmental and cultural concerns, with a desire to showcase the rich beauty and biodiversity of the wetlands, while also regulating surface water.

The two portions of the rivers carve their way through the heart of vast wet meadows, which are characterised by meanders, ponds and marshes, over an area of 0.5 hectares.

The road that serves the estate, which was originally centred on a large embankment, has now been reduced to a submerged bridge that crosses the water like a ford.

Trails measuring 1.5 kilometres have gradually been created, offering a range of discoveries linked to the rest of the park.

In the coming years, equipment for relaxing, playing and observing will be installed.

The number-one priority is to ensure that the landscape is returned to a natural state!

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