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Beautiful rock formations at Les Awirs with caves and climbing rocks

The complex originally consisted of four caves, some of which have now disappeared due to natural collapse and the proximity of quarries. The caves have been protected as cultural heritage in Wallonia since 1978 and have an exceptional status due to their scientific value. Although the caves themselves are currently not open to the public, the site remains an important archaeological and natural history location that visualizes the evolution of humanity.

The marl caves of Heers are an important hibernation site for numerous bats, including the Bechstein's bat, the Notched Bat, and the Pond Bat. Bat-friendly barriers were installed at the entrances to the caves. In 2014, the Waterkuil was closed off with a steel gate, in which bat silhouettes serve as flight openings. This elegant barrier was designed by Heers artist Frans Vandueren. Initial winter counts already showed that the gate is having an effect.

The Lourdes grotto was built in 1946 during the celebration of the village's centennial. A prayer vigil is still held at the grotto every Thursday in May.

Unexpected spot in the middle of the park, next to a viewpoint over the city (let's see if we can still see that far when the trees have turned green...), a reminder of a time when the walking routes were punctuated by https://www.dogwhistlings.com

This is a cave I used to visit a long time ago. Before, you could start at the very bottom and work your way up to the top of the quarry. Now, I don't think that's possible anymore.

Although the caves are no longer accessible, they are worth the detour for their unexpected beauty. The red earth blends perfectly with the gray of the rock walls and the green of its abundant ivy. There were originally four caves on this site. The first disappeared due to limestone mining between 1890 and 1900. Exploring the Cockerill quarry massif, Philippe-Charles Schmerling discovered four caves on the site called Trô Cwaheur (= cut, tear). In the second cave, he unearthed two human skulls in 1829, one said to be Cro-Magnon and the second a Neanderthal child. The bones were associated with extinct fauna and presented the same state of preservation. At a time when biblical theory still prevailed, he began to prove the appearance of humans on earth more than 4,000 years ago. But, misunderstood, it would be necessary to wait for the discoveries made in the Neander Valley, in Germany, to see his thesis confirmed. It was a close call for "Neanderthal man" to be called "Awirs man". The site belongs to the Société Carmeuse and has been classified since 1978. The ditch that can be seen on the site is due to a subsidence of the ground following the exploitation of alum. Alum was exploited in this place from 1580 until the middle of the 18th century (around 1740).

The Lourdes grotto is located at the intersection between the Glaaierweg and a field path. The grotto has been beautifully restored. There are benches, flowers and candles. It is probably a work by Janssen from Westmeerbeek, given the text under Maria: que – soy era immaculada – concepcion. On the right you see an old pulpit. There are also many memorial plaques. On the other side of the street there is an additional covered place to pray. Beautiful resting place, it was consecrated in 1942 on the occasion of 100 years of parish. The grotto shows various thank you plaques from the war years 1943 and 1944.