Florzé quarry

The Florzé quarry is located in the eastern Calestienne, between the village of Florzé to the north and the Amblève valley to the south, and is bordered to the east by the N30 Sprimont-Aywaille road. Formerly a limestone (small granite) and secondarily sand extraction site, the area was later used as a landfill for many years before its rehabilitation by the Walloon Region, with the surrounding forest almost forgetting this unfortunate use. The main excavation, the southern quarry, is now occupied by a private company that organizes "nature" sports activities there. To the north of it is the entrance to an exploitation tunnel nearly 400 m long and 4 to 5 m wide and high, dug at the end of the 19th century but abandoned in 1954 following a tragic landslide that cost the lives of several workers. Currently, this artificial gallery is particularly important as a hibernation site for about thirty bats belonging to at least 11 different species, including the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), to name just the most notable elements. The second excavation, located 550 m further north, has been less developed and contains a small water body. In the 1990s, well-lit rocky areas were still favorable to reptiles such as the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) and the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), but their presence should be confirmed. The surrounding woods are frequented by the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) and other uncommon birds. The local flora includes some interesting species such as mezereon (Daphne mezereum) and round-leaved wintergreen (Pyrola rotundifolia).

Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie