Nordhouse - Hipsheim Training Orchard

Established in 1999 in the heart of the Nordhouse leisure area, this orchard now features 140 fruit trees across 70 varieties of apples, 17 of pears, 6 of plums and mirabelles, 5 of cherries, as well as quince, peach, apricot, walnut, hazelnut trees, and small fruits. The trees are trained in 17 distinct shapes such as the spindle, goblet, or palmette, and benefit from sustainable protection promoting biodiversity. The spaces between rows are planted with flowering plants that bloom at different times to shelter beneficial wildlife and feed the bees in the hive on site.

The site also includes an insect hotel, a dry stone pyramid housing hedgehogs, slow worms, toads, and lizards, as well as numerous bird nesting boxes. A pond at the back of the orchard is dedicated to frogs and other amphibians. A large plot is devoted to medicinal and aromatic plants.

Finally, a stork nest installed high up attracts these iconic birds and their offspring every year.