A delegation from Nadur are currently in Bievre, Belgium attending the annual meeting of the Charter of European Rural Communities, taking place between the 10th and 14th of July.

The theme of the Bievre meeting is ‘The impact of climate change in rural areas.’

The delegations will be accommodated in private families in Bièvre, and over the 4 days visits to local businesses and regional tourist attractions have been organised. The inhabitants of Bièvre and the surrounding area have also been invited to various activities, together with the European participants..

Since 1989 small rural communities, one from each of the countries of the European Union have a bond of friendship, which is registered in the so-called “Charter of European Rural Communities.” From every member state of the European Union there is one rural community represented in the Charter.

The annual meeting is alternately organised by one of the member communities and attended by young people and adults from the 28 member municipalities. Nadur is the representative for Malta and Gozo.

The municipality of Bièvre with its twelve picturesque and peaceful villages is situated at 348 metres altitude on a plateau in the Ardennes in the south of the province Namur in Belgium. The municipality is located in the valley of the rivers Semois and Lesse, on the main road halfway between Beauraing (pilgrimage) and the city Bouillon.

The name Bièvre comes from the beaver. Therefore, the animal is the symbol on the shield and on the weather vane on the top of the Town Hall.

Bièvre is famous for, and very proud of, its new and Town Hall and cultural centre. The building used to be a hunting lodge and the cultural centre was the stables for horses and hunting dogs. The municipality has a rich architectural heritage with for example: Fontaine St Furcy in Bellefontaine, the tower of St Denis Church and the Chapel in Oizy, but also old washtubs in the middle of the villages, where women used to do the laundry.

Bièvre has approximately 3000 inhabitants. In the past, a real agriculture community provided its own needs. Nowadays most of the people work in the offices or the factories in and around Bièvre. It has developed economically and commissioned shops and industries. The municipality itself has a small industrial area, with several small factories.

Five villages have a local primary school, with children from aged two and a half up to twelve years. Afterwards the students travel by bus or train to high schools in the surrounding area. There is also a train station in Bièvre that lies on an important track line especially for cargo. n the municipality, there are many activities for leisure.

There are four football clubs, as well as tennis, table tennis, horse riding, mountain bike, gym, judo or paintball. There is also art training where children and adults can learn to paint and to sculpture. A local theatre group has a production every year.

Photographs by Rita Mifsud Attard

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