Hike of "Prignac et Marcamps"

"Window onto the estuary" are a counterpart of the discovery itineraries. They present you the canton history, geography, environment, patrimony or culture and in a larger point of view, the estuary. With this "Window onto the estuary", you will discover the natural site of t"Le Moron" labelised Natura 2000.

The site of the Moron, 92 hectares, is a wet zone sheltering numerous botanical and animal species. It is a natural space and environmentally sensitive area whose protection is essential for natural heritage. The wet zones are dying (urbanization, intensification of the agricultural practices, the drainage) and must be absolutely protected because they shelter more than 50 % of the animal species and more than 30 % of French botanical species. That's why the site is awarded Natura 2000 (European network of protection of the natural heritage) and in ZNIEFF of class 1 (natural zone of environmental interest regarding fauna and flora). Thanks to this classification, we manage to maintain the species in their optimal ecological conditions.

In the natural site of Moron, we can find protected botanical species, due to their rarity on the French territory, as the summer nivéole, the buttercup with sheets of Ophioglosse, the ash tree with narrow sheets, the yellow pigamon. Other species more ubiquistes are very present on the site as various sorts of willows, ash trees, alders, iris and a typical plant of the wet zones: the carex or the sedge. We recognize them by the triangular stalk and they often grow in clods. These species called locally "bauge", are very representative of the site of Moron, because they were the only agricultural production of the zones of swamp. The farmers mowed the meadows in August and returned the bauge which was the litter for their cattle. But little by little, the herds made more and more rare and the bauge was not any more pinched, that is why we attend an advanced abandonment of the waterside lands in Moron.

The site is a potential refuge for the protected species that are the otter and the mink of Europe. However no individual was ever seen on the site. 41 species of birds were heard on the site. Most are of forest type and only 5 species are typical wet zones. We can hear, green woodpeckers, grey herons, hoopoes facies or still warblers. The site has also the peculiarity to welcome numerous butterflies (very rare species: "le cuivré des marais" butterfly, the copper-colored of swamps) as well as a sort of lizard and snake (the lizard of bulwarks and green and yellow grass-snake). We also find the common toad and the agile frog. Nevertheless we can also add that as on most of the current natural sites, we note the presence of invasive species as the crawfish of Louisiana, Jussie and the negundo maple.

St Michel de Marcamps church is a Romanesque church from the 12th century. Its furniture almost disappeared. Nevertheless, its stained glasses were recently redone. In a contemporary style, they embody the natural and cultural heritage of the village of Prignac et Marcamps. Nowadays it welcomes exhibitions as well as concerts.

The cave of Pair non Pair is decorated with parietal engravings representing horses, ibexes, cervids, mammoths and cattle dated Aurignacien (between 33 000 and 26 000 years before Christ). Moving testimony of the artistic awakening of the humanity, it is one of the most remarkable decorated caves of the beginning of the upper Palaeolithic. It was discovered near the valley of Moron in 1881 by an eminent local archaeologist, François Daleau. We owe this find thanks to a cow which clamped its hoof in a hole. In Lascaux, 60 years later, it was the dog which opened the way by falling in a hole... Infos +33 (0)5 57 68 33 40.

The western front (except the steeple) is classified Historical Monument since 1954. The church has buttresses adorned with decorated corbels as the indoor and outdoor capitals are.

Opened everyday from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Infos alliancebourg.com Infos +33 5 57 94 07 07