Burdinale-Mehaigne Nature Park is in Hesbaye, in the triangle formed by the towns of Huy, Andenne, and Hannut. A non-profit association, Etudes et Promotion du Parc naturel régional de la Vallée de la Burdinale, was created in 1981 to promote the Burdinale Valley and its natural beauty, and the nature park was formally recognised in 1991. It brings together 22 villages belonging to the entities of Braives, Burdinne, Héron, and Wanze, whilst some 15,000 people live within its boundaries.
The streams that give the park its name – the Burdinale and Mehaigne – flow across its 11,000 hectares and have given rise to two geographically highly diversified valleys where points of landscape interest alternate with beautiful, well-conserved villages. The park has the good fortune of being at the juncture between the Hesbaye Plateau and banks of the Meuse River. This unique situation explains the existence of wetland forest ecosystems and grassy bottom lands on one side and the vast agricultural expanses of the Hesbaye on the other. Hikers can thus enjoy a diverse range of trails in settings with exceptional fauna and flora and a host of Natura 2000 sites (the European network of protected sites aimed at safeguarding biodiversity).
Thanks to its noteworthy natural, historical, cultural, and architectural heritage, which includes historical castles and farms, the Burdinale-Mehaigne Nature Park is a prime area for accommodations and tourism that flee the madding crowd and respect the environment and rural life.
