The Batiss à z'osons Tour In the footsteps of the goose keeper

Welcome to Hergnies: a charming rural village on the banks of the Scheldt. Benefiting from the dynamics of the Scarpe-Escaut regional nature park, Hergnies has established itself as one of the green and river tourist centers of the Valenciennois.
The town’s main assets are its ponds and marshland.
The Batiss’à Z’osons tour will take you in the footsteps of Jean Batiste Balland, a 19th-century day laborer and goose keeper in Hergnies.
A word of advice! Bring your binoculars! You’ll come across many species of birds around the marsh, and along the way you’ll find explanatory panels on the history of Hergnies.

Val de vergne marshes — ©marais du val de vergne

Going green au val de vergne

We’re off for a 2-hour walk starting from the Place de la République in Hergnies. Be careful, here the signposting is “home-made”, so just follow the little white geese painted with directional arrows on the supports in town. You’ll set off to discover the ponds and the natural site of the Grand Marais, known as the Marais du Val de Vergne. Enjoy a state of well-being and peace in the heart of nature, marshes and bird calls. You’ll feel serene in the midst of this remarkable flora and fauna, as if time were standing still and becoming one. The perfect opportunity for a romantic selfie!

Why is that good?

our favorites

Chez Jacky" hiking caféReason #1

observe the birds of the marshReason #2

The story of Baptiste the goose keeperReason #3

A genuine observatory Remarkable flora and fauna

Silence is essential if you wish to observe the birds nesting at Val de Vergne.
The fauna changes with the seasons:
– in February-March, colonies of little egrets take a break from their migration to gather strength in the fish-filled waters.
– In May, the young are born. The Canada Goose, proud of her offspring, takes a few steps along the shore, while ducklings and moorhens frolic in the water; but at the slightest noise, a simple recall, and everyone disappears.
Keep your eyes peeled for the metallic blue flash of the kingfisher at water’s edge.
– In September, the great crested grebes are enjoying the last rays of sunshine, the family has grown and the nest built on the water is no longer needed.

The Natura 2000 site is also home to over 200 species of plant life, a veritable paradise for insects such as dragonflies and damselflies.

The story of Baptiste and his geese have become the town's emblem

The goose became the symbol of the town of Hergnies following the village’s ancestral activity of goose herding.

Jean Baptiste Balland was a day laborer who kept geese in Hergnies in the 19th century. His flock was made up of geese entrusted to him by neighbors, and roamed the roadsides. Ecology before its time, the birds maintained the roads by eating the grass along the sides of the ditches.

the grand marais site, open to wet meadows, was the domain of geese.

To supplement this unprofitable activity, goose keepers had two options:

– on the one hand, they could often be seen knitting while walking the geese, and until the beginning of the last century, vests and stockings were sold at the Devaux hosiery factory in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux.

– on the other hand, collecting feathers from live animals was an important source of income. The collection of wishbone feathers was possible because feathers mature around 9 to 10 weeks, triggering a moult. Geese can therefore be plucked every 6 weeks. This work was done by hand, and gently so as not to injure the animal.

Today, a giant reproduction of the goose stands proudly not far from the Grand marais gîte, and is brought out for festivities. The people of the village of Hergnies are called the z’osons, patois for goose.

Chez Jacky

Le Gîte du Grand Marais

Bulles et nature