A portrait of the Hautes Fagnes

The Hautes Fagnes, a region of mysteries and legends, seem like a foreign country to us where nature reigns supreme. And yet... This book is a dialogue between the poetic and scientific texts of biologist Thierry Hance and the fascinating photos taken at all times of day by the photographer and naturalist, Michel Decleer. Between them they illustrate how this world was formed by four elements : water, fire, rock and wind. Water, in all its forms, is omnipresent. It saturates the earth or flows noisily down to the rockslides at the bottom of steep sided valleys. Rock emerges from the peat beds and can be seen wherever one looks. Fire is a constant threat. Fanned by the wind, it transforms the plant life. Wind carries rain, bends the solitary trees, and scatters seeds. And yet, these elements are not the only influence on this region as Man, for over a thousand years, has also influenced the Hautes Fagnes, changing oak and beech forests into moorland. This portrait of the fagnes, its colours, scents and noises is a book of exploration, to awaken the senses.