AVESNOIS
GREETER WALK
COME FOR A GREET WITH A LOCAL
Come for a walk with a resident of Avesnois, a Greeter
The Greeters en Avesnois are inhabitants who invite you to discover, during a stroll by their side, the community, its heritage, its paths, its landscapes… They are not professional guides: they speak in all simplicity and in all subjectivity of the Avesnois that they know and that they want to share.
Several themes are offered depending on the personality and sensitivity of the Greeter.
Avesnois: What & Where is it ?
Avesnois is located in the south-east of the Nord department, bordering Belgium to the north and east and Aisne to the south, near the Ardennes.
The landscapes of the Avesnois are verdant, and constitute an exception compared to the rest of the department: meadows, bocage, deciduous forests, winding rivers, mills and picturesque villages.
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Choose your Greet and complete the registration form, you will receive a confirmation email.
War of the Spanish Succession
Jean-Luc passion
On either side of the Anorelles stream
With Wendy in her adopted land.
Past & current economy
With Gérard
Oak-hornbeam or beech forest?
Alain sheds light on you!
Naturalist with pedagogy
Cédric, shows you and explains to you.
Historical wealth of Wignehies!
Pierre offers walks or bike rides.
The Trélon village
Joel makes you discover it!
GREETERS, ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTH
Fortified town of Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Philippe reveals the secrets of the city to you!
The ancient city of Bavay, the fortified city of Quesnoy and Maroilles
Eric lets you discover them!
Greeters around the world
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AVESNOIS Greeters
Are led and managed by the Office de Tourisme de l’Avesnois
Charter, UGCs & Responsabilities
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AVESNOIS GREETERS Website page
This page is managed on the Greeters de France portal
Greeters de France Portal- Click on the logo.
Each of the “Greeter de France” destinations is led and managed by a local actor: Association, collective of residents or tourist entity (Tourist Offices, Departmental Tourism Committee). These actors are all members of the FFG (France Greeters Federation) and as such respect the same operating rules. They follow the values and ethics defined globally by IGA (International Greeter Association). The management and coordination of the France Greeters Federation ensures the pooling of our processes and tools, our global presence on the Web and social networks as well as the sharing of our communication programs.
International IGA portal – Click on the logo.
Apart from the presentation of the IGA Greeters, you also have access to 163 destinations worldwide (as of July 1, 2023). You can register directly on the site after choosing your destination.
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BETWEEN EARTH AND SEA
From the top of the Aber Ildut to the small port of Mazou, Maryvonne will accompany you for a small eclectic hike. Between the rocky coast of the Iroise Sea, with a view of the Molène archipelago, and ribinoù (small bocage paths in Breton), discover two very different facets and yet so close to our territory. Blue and green mix together to form a single word in Breton: glaz.
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JEAN-LUC
Historical hike in Avesnois around Taisnières-sur-Hon
Jean-Luc, a former customs officer and history buff, offers you a hiking circuit of about 8 km (which can be extended by 7.5 km for the curious and good walkers). During this walk Jean-Luc will tell you with passion the historical events that have marked the region: from the “Battle of Malplaquet”, an essential episode of the War of Spanish Succession under Louis XIV, through various events of the 1st World War until the Battle of the Mons Pocket in September 1944.
Jean-Luc also offers a trip to the “Caillou qui bique”, also known as Mont de Verhaeren, via Flamengrie.
Whatever your profile, whether you are a history buff or just curious, discover alongside this passionate greeter the various monuments linked to this turbulent history: border markers from 1712 which delimited the kingdom of France and the “Austrian” Netherlands, boundary markers from the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, boundary markers from the Treaty of Kortrijk in 1820, remnants of Maginot fortifications from 1937, etc.
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The fortified town of Avesnes-sur-Helpe!
A native of Avesnois, Philippe began his career as a carpenter. He likes to share his know-how and teaches at the Aulnoye-Aymeries technical high school in the North. Passionate about history and his city, he joined the Archaeological Circle of Avesnes-sur-Helpe to become a specialist in the fortifications of the “City of Flies”. The smallest streets of the city no longer hold any secrets for him and his stroll will be very enriching! He will show you the town center of Avesnes, passing through the “climbers” to discover the Vauban ramparts. He will also advise you on good places to eat in the surrounding area.
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GÉRARD D.
Avesnois villages…
Gérard has lived in Wallers-en-Fagne for 20 years. He mainly worked in electronics and IT and is now retired.
Always so curious and passionate about built and natural heritage, he took art history lessons for 4 years, in the evenings in Belgium with his wife! And he graduated as an antiques dealer! Gérard is also very involved at the associative level, treasurer of the “ARSEPPE” association for the restoration and preservation of the church of Eppe Sauvage and vice-president of the association “Les Amis de la Maison de la Fagne” ( Cultural trips, discovery walks, etc).
We are captivated by his stories on the past and current economic activity of the village, by his discourse on the biodiversity linked to this very calcareous soil (the Calestienne), on the riches offered by this village of blue stone.
Did you know that Wallers-en-Fagne has a well-kept treasure in a safe, saved by Marguerite (resident of the village) in 1940 before the arrival of the Germans. This treasure is represented on a stone of one of the walls of the village. To be discovered soon with Gérard as part of the Greeters de l’Avesnois walks.
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ERIC L.
The ancient city of Bavay, the fortified city of Quesnoy and Maroilles, Eric will help you discover them!
A native of Quesnoy and Avesnois, Eric is passionate about local history. The legends, anecdotes, historical facts and architectural heritage of Avesnois are his hobby. Passionate about photography, he will not hesitate to help you discover natural areas rich in wildlife. He will show you how to meet it without disturbing or scaring it. Raptors are the animals he likes best. He also appreciates cooking and will advise you on “good restaurants” in Avesnois.
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ALAIN R.
Our forest, our History
Alain, recently retired, was a teacher in natural sciences. Passionate about field sciences, he liked to introduce his students to botany and ecology. Here we are in the heart of the forest, where Alain shows us the difference between the oak-hornbeam grove and its ground covered with plants, unlike the beech grove where the ground seems almost bare to us.
Why is that? It’s all about light, as the beech forest is very dense, the vegetation hardly grows there, unlike the oak-hornbeam forest where the airy branches allow light to pass through.
Little anecdote, did you know that deer love young beech shoots and that it makes them drunk because of the fermentation in their stomachs. They then find themselves disoriented, which sometimes explains their wandering…
We continue our walk and we observe large shell holes on the ground, vestiges of the Great War.
Near the water you can see the white willow, used since antiquity to fight against fever and pain, and the origin of one of the most famous drugs of the 20th century: aspirin.
Alain shares with us the secrets and particularities of plants.
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CÉDRIC B.
Cédric, a naturalist pedagogue.
Cédric, departmental guard at the Parc de l’Abbaye de Liessies, former resort guide at ValJoly, has fifteen years of outings and nature workshops to his credit.
Naturalist and especially pedagogue, he explains his environment and how to protect it. Walking in the heart of this preserved nature, we observe this landscape shaped by the diverted arms of the river which fed the forges of the village.
Many species of birds nest here such as this small family of stonechats, the red-backed shrike, the wagtails, the green woodpecker, the great spotted woodpecker… A favorite for the stork and its 4 storks perched on their platform with the village church in the background…
Pretty dragonflies and damselflies twirl around us.
Cédric highlights the plants necessary for birds such as the “bird cabaret” wild teasel which retains small basins of water, the giant hogweed and its clusters of seeds until December…
An exciting and passionate Greeter!
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JOËL D.
Joël walks you to Trélon.
Naturalist, passionate about geology and history, Joël will be able to help you discover the town of Trélon, its development from the 15th to the 19th century and its miseries during the last two wars.
En cas de difficulté motrice avec accompagnement, promenade adaptée et nécessairement plus réduite.
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PIERRE S.
In the streets of Wignehies
Pierre, former farmer, in love with his village, curious, in short, passionate about the attractions and history of Wignehies as well as that of the people who lived there.
Time for a walk, in the streets of Wignehies and the small paths where you can only access on foot… Pierre tells you the story of these old gray sandstone stones that line many Pian houses, emanating from the old village quarry.
From the manufacturers of stockings to the industrial spinning mills such as “Boussus” or “Boudard”, from the “Comptoir Français” store which offered its products by weight… our current bulk stores, you will be amazed at all this historical, built and natural wealth offered by Wignehies!
Pierre offers you walks according to your desires through the history of the village, the bocage and the men who lived there yesterday and today, on foot or by bike, according to your practices and your centers of interest.
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WENDY B.
On either side of the Anorelles stream.
Wendy is a native of Great Britain, after her French studies she was appointed English assistant at Hirson, has lived for 38 years in Anor and has kept her charming British accent!
Currently retired, Wendy is very involved in community life and enjoys sharing her language skills with, in particular, English workshops that she offers at the Le 36 Anor media library or with the Echanges et Dialogue de Trélon association. Another talent of Wendy, beekeeping!
Today, we discover her as a “greeter”, a passionate person who takes us on both sides of the Anorelles stream. Anor was an industrial cradle of forges and glassworks, hence the presence of 4 mills.
Along our walk, she introduces us to the old brewery closed in 1972 and its “Rona” beer, the old paper mill, the different hamlets of the village which have each kept their traditions, adorable black swans, …
A ride that can be conducted in English by Wendy upon request when registering.
