The Hollow Rock

Located near the village of Nismes, within an area of great landscape value, the Roche Trouée is undoubtedly one of the remarkable sites of the Calestienne, alongside the neighboring Abannets and Fondry des Chiens. Its interests are numerous: geological, paleontological, archaeological, biological, etc. It is home to different types of calcareous vegetation, ranging from rocky grasslands with sedum and Arabis to xeric grasslands with globular plants, to richly flowered mesophilic grasslands and groups of thermophilic edges and clearings. The flora includes many rare species, including the pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), German gentian (Gentianella germanica), few-flowered Arabis (Arabis pauciflora), and globularia (Globularia bisnagarica). The fauna is also very rich, related to the plant diversity and favorable microclimatic conditions. More than fifty species of daytime butterflies can be observed, as well as a large number of true bugs and orthopterans, these groups of insects having been largely favored by the restoration works of calcareous grasslands, ongoing since the late 1980s. Currently, the site is partially fenced and maintained by sheep grazing.

Public access:
Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie