A real saga
With an area of over 1,000 hectares, the Sacy Marshes are the largest wetland and peat bog area in the Oise department. They are of great ecological and heritage value due to the many remarkable animal and plant species that live there.
Once occupied by a lake that has since silted up, the Sacy Marshes have been subject to human exploitation over recent centuries: agricultural crops in the less damp areas, pastures and grassland for fodder and bedding, peat extraction, and watercress cultivation.
More recently, hunting and fishing have become the main activities, alongside the breeding of cattle and horses adapted to the marshy grassland environment.
These various activities have shaped the landscape, notably with large bodies of water and canals, which are most often rectilinear.
But this fragile environment was threatened with drying out by the natural development of the vegetation.
Today, the site is designated as Natura 2000 and is a Ramsar-listed site.
Gain some height in Saint-Martin-Longueau by taking a forest path towards the marshes and access the observation tower (10 metres high) freely, which offers a breathtaking view of the site.
Faunal and floral diversity
To prevent drying out and the encroachment of woody plants, ecological methods are used, notably the introduction of Camargue cattle and horses, Highland cattle and water buffalo. By grazing and trampling, they halt the harmful reforestation of the land and preserve biodiversity.
Amphibians such as green and common frogs, the common toad, the European tree frog and the palmate newt can be seen there, as well as birds such as the iconic great bittern, the little bittern and the spotted crake.
You can also spot exceptional flora there, such as marsh gentian or wild orchids.
