Ellezelles and its southern forests

Walk along junctions south of Ellezelles in the Pays des Collines. Starting from Ellezelles, it goes to Bois d'Hubermont and then further to Bois d'Hergies and Bois Lefèbvre before returning to Ellezelles.

Ellezelles

Ellezelles is a town and municipality in the Belgian province of Hainaut. Ellezelles is located in the north of the province, near the Flemish city of Ronse. The village is situated in the Pays des Collines region. Since the thirteenth century, the area has been a constant point of contention between Flanders and Hainaut. As a result, the region was often referred to as the 'Debattenland'. In 1522, Lamoraal van Egmont was born here. In 1610, the local witch Quintine was reportedly hanged and burned in Ellezelles. To commemorate this, a witch's sabbath has been organized annually since 1972 at the end of June. Additionally, you can find witch images throughout the village. Local folklorists also claim that the fictional character Hercule Poirot was born here on April 1, 1850. Both figures are also immortalized as beers from the local brewery.

Nature Park Pays des Collines

As early as the 1970s, the idea of creating a nature park in the Collines region was proposed by somewhat visionary pioneering citizens such as Théo Mercenier, Jacques Vandewattyne, and even Abbé Delcour. The idea gained traction among certain political decision-makers and a large number of citizens and associations. Together, they fought for the idea of bringing Ellezelles, Flobecq, Mont-de-l'Enclus, Frasnes, and three villages from the entity of Ath (Houtaing, Mainvault, Ostiches) together to form a common cultural and landscape identity.

When we ask the citizens what best characterizes the nature park Pays des Collines, the landscape or folklore is often mentioned. It is true that its relief and identity have suffered less from the homogenization of landscapes than in certain other places in Wallonia. Characterized by 7 landscape entities (forested hills, fragmented hills, agricultural valleys, alluvial plains, open agriculture, partitioned agriculture, urbanized), the landscapes of the Pays des Collines should continue to attract both residents and tourists alike.

The Pays des Collines consists of the municipalities of Ellezelles, Flobecq, Frasnes-lez-Anvaing, Mont-de-l'Enclus, and a part of the municipality of Aat (the villages of Mainvault, Houtaing, and Ostiches). The Land of Collines is a territory imbued with a strong identity. The 5 municipalities of the Pays des Collines are very popular with walkers due to their wild and hilly landscapes, their delicious regional products, and their fantastic folklore. Here, witches and legends pursue the unusual walking paths and the bucolic landscape dotted with pollarded willows, thickets, and “supernatural” hills.

The total area of the nature park is 23,327 hectares for 26,125 inhabitants (early 2011).

Bois d'Hubermont

Bois d'Hubermont, Bois d'Antoing, and Bois de Leuze is a contiguous forest in the Pays des Collines region (municipalities of Ellezelles and Frasnes-lez-Anvaing) in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia. The forest and nature area sits on a hilltop (137 m) and is recognized as a 'Site of Grand Biological Interest' by the Walloon Region. Bois d'Hubermont is 126.2 ha, Bois d'Antoing 70.07 ha, and Bois de Leuze 62.75 ha. The forest area is protected at a European level as part of the Natura 2000 area 'Vallées de la Dendre et de la Marcq'.

The forest is an Atlantic beech forest (with some oak, chestnut, and ash here and there) featuring carpets of spring bloomers such as wood anemone and wild hyacinth, and an undergrowth of holly, wild service tree, and eagle fern. In Bois d'Hubermont, Bois d'Antoing, and Bois de Leuze, buzzard, wasp-eagle, kestrel, and hawk (the most westerly breeding pair of hawks in Wallonia) nest. Other birds including red kite, tawny owl, wood owl, lesser spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, goldeneye, black redstart, hawfinch, coal tit, crested tit, and long-tailed tit can also be found. At the forest edge, the song thrush, sedge warbler, tree pipit, and gray flycatcher nest. Holly, slender primrose, foxglove, knobbed helmet, blueberries, heather, lesser periwinkle, wood stitchwort, and bitter cress bloom. The forest is also home to crested newt, alpine newt, fox, and roe deer.

Bois d'Hergies

Bois d'Hergies is a forest in the Pays des Collines region (municipality of Frasnes-lez-Anvaing) in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia. The 16-hectare forest and nature area is recognized as a 'Site of Grand Biological Interest' and is located near Bois Lefèbvre. The forest is an Atlantic beech forest (with some oak, chestnut, and ash here and there) featuring carpets of spring bloomers such as wood anemone and wild hyacinth, and an undergrowth of holly, wild service tree, and eagle fern. Buzzards, crested newts, alpine newts, foxes, and roe deer can be found here.

Bois Lefèbvre

Bois Lefèbvre is a forest in the Pays des Collines region (municipalities of Ellezelles and Frasnes-lez-Anvaing) in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia. This forest and nature area is recognized as a 'Site of Grand Biological Interest' (SGIB579) and spans 140 ha. A part of the forest area (Bois Rabis) is protected at a European level as part of the Natura 2000 area 'Vallées de la Dendre et de la Marcq'. The forest is also an Atlantic beech forest (with some oak, chestnut, and ash here and there) featuring carpets of spring bloomers such as wood anemone and wild hyacinth, and an undergrowth of holly, wild service tree, and eagle fern. Buzzards, crested newts, alpine newts, foxes, and roe deer can also be found here.