Saint-Pierre mountain

The Montagne Saint-Pierre ( Sint Pietersberg in Dutch) is a hill extending from north in the south between the valleys of the Geer and the Meuse, of Maastricht (Netherlands) to the surroundings of Liege (Belgium).

It is on several occasions crossed at the time of the cycle race of the Amstel Gold Race.
Sa composition, limestone and rich in flint hardcores, and its geographical position, make a remarkable place of it for various reasons:

career of flint to the Neolithic , and extension of the network of gallery until the 19th century on 200 kilometers;
the richest lodging of Chiroptère S of the Benelux countries;

richest meadows of Orchis S (Dactylorhiza, Ophrys, Orchis, Epipactis) of the the Benelux countries;
first bones of animal fossil discovered at the 18th century, known under the name of “ Large fossil Animal of the Careers of Maestricht ”: jaw of Mosasaure, identified by the Doctor C.K. Hoffman in 1780, transferred in 1795 to the national Natural history museum from natural history from Paris. The specimen was described by Georges Cuvier in 1808;
complete skeletons of Mosasaure S and marine tortoises in the Belgian part;
septentrional limit of many species of animals and plants, installed in particular on the lawns limestones.
many career and industry of the Lime;
Extremely of Ében-Émael of the Belt strengthened of Liege.

Geology

The Saint-Pierre Mountain was formed by the two rivers of the Meuse and the Geer, which cut out the calcareous plate, known in the east under the name of Plateau of Herve, and in the west under the name of Hesbaye. Follow one another thus the following geological layers:

Loess;
gravel;
Sand of quartz;
Chalk with hardcores of Flint.

The chalk deposits contain very many fossils. Sea urchin S, hulls, Belemnite S is most frequent. The industrial exploitation in career is the occasion to find larger specimens sometimes.

Hydrography

The Mountain is limited by to the east by the Meuse, and to the west by the Geer. The Channel Albert cut the Mountain in two out of 1.300 meters and 65 meters height, on the level of the Sliced of Caster dug for this purpose.

The locks of Lanaye, located at the foot of the Mountain, allow the passage of the basin of the Meuse towards the Canal Juliana and the the Rhine.

In the east, the correction of the course of the Meuse, border of state in these places, left on both sides dead arms of the river, become spawning grounds or marinas. On left bank, the Vieille Meuse is most known. It belongs to the Dutch territory (old Right Bank of the old layout of the river, and left bank of new), but is property of the town of Visé. It is the place of the Netherlands having the greatest ecological richness.

Ecology

From a botanical point of view, the site of the Saint-Pierre mountain is exceptional. One finds there lawns limestones populated of species for which the site is the limit of extension towards north and in particular several species of orchises. This situation is due to a combination of factors calcareous ground, south-western exposure, presence of a river, released ground… which supports a microclimate a little hotter. A threat weighs however on the lawns limestones: natural evolution of the site towards a forest repopulation. This evolution was prevented during centuries, by the setting in pasture of sheep, accompanied by regular densherings. Today a regular and adapted maintenance replaces the farm: the pasture by the sheep in fact part but not the harmful denshering because with the biodiversity.

Industry

The human presence with the Saint-Pierre Mountain is announced dice the Paléolithique inferior.

The interest of the contents of its ground appears very quickly: following the example Spiennes or Spy, the place is known for the exploitation of the Silex that one finds there in abundance.

Dice Celtic antiquity one will dig gallery in the ground to extract the other geological richness from it: the marl which one names also micaceous chalk or stone of France. Until the middle of the XXe century one will make use of this stone to build many buildings in the area. The last exploitations in activity of block of marl are intended for the restoration of the old buildings. But the exploitation of the marl does not finish only opposite since that one exploits it since the Années 1920, in gigantic careers with open sky for the production of Chaux (cement). The Netherlands, this production is ensured by the Eerste Nederlandse Cement Industry (ENCI), and in Belgium by the CBR and Obourg. Imérys is also present.

Managed by Intradel, the unused career of Halembaye (Haccourt) is used as places of hidings of household waste ultimate and ashes of incinerations resulting from the factory from incineration from waste from Herstal.

For a few year the biological interest of the site at revealed summer and the tendency of have been limited the development heavy industry and to return the site to nature and to the walkers. With the Netherlands, association “ Natuurmonumenten ” repurchased in 1992 for a guilder symbolic system all the grounds of ecological interest held by the province. Association maintaining in load management of the sites, tries to imply the various private partners present on the site. The sites of Belgium are in particular property of the Natural reserves and Ornithologiques of Belgium and of the Belgian Armée.

Localities including the territory of the Saint-Pierre Mountain

Belgium

Riemst

Netherlands

Maastricht

External bonds

Natagora - information concerning natural reserve in Belgium
http://ibelgique.ifrance.com/ecoguide/ecoguide/vise-maastricht/Sites/MSP.htm
http://www.pietersberg.nl
http://www.aanbeelden.nl/andersom - photographs and information

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