Here, the North reveals a hidden gem, where the last market garden polder in France perpetuates an ancestral way of life that defies time. *The Audomarois marsh, vibrant with water and land, harmoniously combines agriculture, biodiversity, and ancient human traditions.* Navigating through one hundred seventy kilometers of canals and ditches, the silent silhouette of the bacôves evokes the tenacity of the market gardeners of yesteryear. *The landscape oscillates between wild expanses, rare ecosystems, and traditional houses, bearing witness to a fragile symbiosis between man and nature.* A sanctuary classified as a UNESCO biosphere reserve raises questions about the sustainability of resilient agriculture, in the peaceful shadow of heronries and floating gardens.
Focus
A unique market garden polder in French territory #
The Audomarois marsh, in the North of France, stretches like a watery maze dotted with fields and canals. This remarkable enclave, derived from an ancient peat bog, rivals the country’s most famous marshes, often overshadowed by the Camargue or Brière. The area proudly stands as the last market garden polder in France, a territory where culture and water have intermingled for over a millennium.
Since the 9th century, monks transformed this wetland. A dense network of canals was completed in the 15th century, facilitating uninterrupted boat traffic, a living relic of an atypical agricultural history. Today, fewer than thirty families continue the market gardening tradition, particularly that of cauliflowers, endives, and leeks, thereby preserving an ancestral know-how that fascinates as much as it nourishes.
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Quirky boat rides: following the watergangs #
The Audomarois experience is fully lived aboard a bacôve, a large traditional flat-bottomed barge. Once, market gardeners used it to transport vegetables and tools to their plots. Today, this silent vessel glides over the 170 kilometers of canals, revealing along the way surprising and silent landscapes, almost from another world.
From low houses to makeshift footbridges, each turn reveals the ingenuity of a people who live with and by the water. Sometimes, one can spot a mail carrier in a boat, the last representative of this way of life, navigating the aquatic labyrinth to deliver mail, a scene reminiscent of another century.
Colorful markets and way of life
The inhabitants of the marsh maintain a rare closeness to their land. To shine in this micro-society, one simply has to visit a local producer: at the Petite Meer in Saint-Omer or at the La Tilquoise farm in Serques, the stalls undulate with fresh and varied products. On Saturdays, the market is in full swing at the center of Saint-Omer, while summertime markets animate the waterside, recalling the perfect symbiosis between agriculture and daily life.
This authenticity can be found in other emblematic regions, such as La Rochelle, or through the traditions of Louisiana, highlighting the rooting power of these wet territories.
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Sanctuary of biodiversity and nature getaways #
The Romelaëre National Nature Reserve, not far from Clairmarais, stands out as an ornithological sanctuary. Three trails allow for foot crossings through the ponds, encountering over 200 species of birds, some particularly rare like the blongios, a treasure sought by ornithologists.
Along the canals, herons, egrets, and frogs punctuate the natural symphony. The wild soul of the marsh, integrated into the Regional Natural Park of Caps and Marshes of Opal, reveals itself at every step, reaffirming the need for a delicate balance between nature, agriculture, and wonder.
Inspiration from elsewhere #
This universe evokes the captivating landscapes of the Loire Valley and resonates with the atmospheres of La Chapelle-des-Marais or winter sports camps for children, where movement and adventure intertwine with the unexpected. The marshes, whether in Brière, the South, or elsewhere, tell the same tale: that of man and water, inseparable and passionate.
