jacques.nys

This hike on the Hautes Fagnes plateau in the Hautes-Fagnes-Eifel Natural Park will take you to the highest point in Belgium, where you can discover its unique flora and landscape. The hike is more enjoyable during the week (fewer people) in good weather or when there is snow on the ground.

A circular walk starting from Sart-Custinne through the forests and along the streams of Gedinne. A magnificent walk for lovers of (almost) untouched nature. A difficult hike, not because of its length, gradient or terrain, but because of its route and the lack of visible landmarks in the forest.

Who doesn't know the Belgian beer called 'Leffe'? This walk will introduce you not to this excellent range of Belgian beers, but to the wooded and rural surroundings of the abbey on the banks of the Meuse, where it was originally brewed.

Discover one of Belgium’s wildest rivers, the Helle (Hill in German), starting from the old forest house at Ternell, and the Hautes-Fagnes where it rises. A long nature walk over varied terrain: forest paths (deciduous and spruce), dry and wet grassy paths and tracks, boardwalks (over very marshy ground), stony paths, tarmac paths.

A lovely circular walk in the land of Toine Culot, the mayor of Trignolles (Treignes). A chance to discover Arthur Masson’s fictionalised version of the Toinade at the Espace Arthur Masson. An international hike… as it ventures about 400 metres into French territory.

A circular walk exploring the water resources of the Hermeton between Vodelée and Soulme, as well as three listed sites: the Notre-Dame de Bonne Fontaine Chapel, the Moulin de Soulme and the Sainte-Colombe Church in Soulme.Updated May 2026 following various comments:(7) the footbridge near Moulin Bayot is now closed to the public. You must continue straight on to the road and turn right twice to rejoin the original route at Moulin Bayot. Bonus: you pass by the Hermeton waterfall, which is magnificent in frosty weather.(16) Pass the turnstile and follow the river closely... the footpath is still very much public despite the ‘private property’ sign.(19) Take the road to the right and return to the starting point. The path that used to run between the gardens has been removed.

Long hike starting from Sautin in the municipality of Sivry-Rance, through the Bois de Bruyère towards Lac du Val Joly, in the French municipality of Eppe-Sauvage, partly following the Transylvestre andGR®®125Tour de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse trails. Wooded and rural, the route alternates between forest trails, country lanes and local roads.

A beautiful circular walk starting from Thy-le-Château to discover a little of the region's industrial past as well as its natural (countryside and forests) and human (castles, churches, chapels) treasures. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to discover the Marches de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse.

Discovering several castles and an ancient abbey, this circular walk between Bioul and Saint-Gérard runs alongside the Neffe woods and crosses beautiful countryside. The Château de Bioul, a wine-growing estate, is well worth a visit.

A rural hike in Walloon Brabant, discovering a few villages crossed by the Orne and its tributaries.

Vineyards and olive groves at the foot of the Montagne de la Serre and Serre de Cruzières. Panoramic view of the Barjac plain and the Cévennes.

A medieval gem offering beautiful views of the meanders of the Cèze river on a walk that is shorter than its namesake, the 'Circuit de la Dent du Serret'.

Set off to explore ancient drovers' roads (transhumance routes for herds) across arid, windswept plateaus. Chestnut trees (almost) everywhere, broom a little higher up, and then high-altitude moorland covered in heather and pine trees – that’s what this hike has in store! As well as magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. There are also quite a few stones on the ascents (up to the junction with theGRP® 4) and descents – take particular care between (8) and (9).

Broadway and its highest tower castle in the Cotswolds is ideally located for exploring this hilly region of the English countryside and a part of the Cotswold Way (National Trail 164km running north-to-south). In good weather, the top of Broadway Tower offers a 360° view, especially of the Welsh landscape to the west.

A walk in the heart of the Cotswolds, its countryside, its hills and its woods from the ruins of Hailes Abbey, taken over from the National Trust. This circuit takes part of the Cotswolds Way, a hiking trail that crosses the Cotswolds from North to South for 164 km (from Chipping Campden to Bath).

A hike alternating between forests and sloping pastures in the typical Black Forest landscape, with lovely green valleys and babbling brooks. More accessible all year round from the Dollenberg car park (accessible via the B28 road), this alternative route is slightly longer than the official 13.4 km ‘Wiesensteig’ route recommended by the Bad Peterstal Griesbach Tourist Office.

This cross-border walk on the border between the Hautes Fagnes and Germany between Montjoie (Monschau) and Sourbrodt (Waimes) starts on the RAVeL (Belgian enclave of the Vennbahn) at the former Reichenstein stop near the Reichenstein Convent (Kloster) on the road between Mützenich and Kalterherberg.Discover this pure joy away from the tourist crowds in the Hautes Fagnes.

This circular walk, starting from the Oizy Chapel, takes you through the woods to discover fishing ponds, chapels and old mills.The return route takes you through the countryside and areas of intensive Christmas tree plantations.A superb walk to enjoy in autumn, when the trees change colour at different rates and mushrooms abound in the undergrowth.Unfortunately, the Mitauge Mill isn’t very visible… hidden by vegetation on either side.A key site of the Resistance during the Second World War, the Gros-Fays Mill is much better showcased.

Set off to explore the native region of the Western Ourthe. This rural walk is offered as a short version of the long, signposted “Voie Saint-Antoine” route.A blanket of snow and overcast skies were the conditions for this hike undertaken on 1 January 2021.Much enjoyed... and also much appreciated that it wasn’t any longer, as making our way through 30 to 40 cm of snow to clear certain paths isn’t as easy as it looks: wet feet and trousers up to the knees, despite suitable kit, didn’t discourage us.Definitely one to repeat in other seasons and under different weather conditions.

This long circular walk, centred on the theme of the old local road, winds through the woods and countryside around Burnontige. In winter,the paths are waterlogged; others are very slippery where a thin layer of ice remains, and streams swollen with rushing water overflow onto the paths and tracks in many places. The thaw can be sudden.

A long walk in the heart of the Eifel countryside, passing through three European countries: Belgium, Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. You will discover the memorial dedicated to the founding of the Europe of Six.In addition to the landscapes of the Our valley and some of its tributaries, you will discover the incomparable Welchenhausen museum and its "sculpture trail".

Starting from the pretty Place du Moulin in Soiron – one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia – after admiring the old wash house, the walk gradually heads west into the countryside and offers a beautiful view of the Bola valley. The entrance to Olne crosses the Bois d'Olne and takes the beautiful Côte en Égypte before branching off to descend into the valley. The climb up the Croupet du Bois is hard on the calves, as is the descent on a bend in the Vesdre l'Est. At the viewpoint over the Vesdre, the route heads due east across meadows towards Cornesse and Wegnez, to the Paire sports complex, where it turns north towards the splendid wooded area of Tribomont and the bottom of Fiérain on the edge of Lambermont (Verviers). The route offers beautiful countryside scenery and some panoramic views of this pretty, hilly region. Hike without description to be followed with the Visorando app.

You’ll cover almost 18 kilometres and will also come across two other very different types of boundary markers: two stone ones marking the former Belgian-Prussian border and two metal ones, still very much in use, between Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.The Eastern Ourthe, meanwhile, is not very prominent, but towards the end of the route you’ll walk alongside a beautiful nature reserve on the banks of its tributary, known as the Fooschtbaach in the Grand Duchy and the Pihon in Belgium.

This very natural route takes you on a journey of discovery through the wooded hills on the border between the Batte (Belgium) and Coulmy (France) valleys.Anyone with even a passing interest in the region's industrial history will also discover its mining and steel-making past, highlighted by the Transfrontier Iron Mines Trail and a number of information panels along the route.The trail passes by some of the iron mines that brought prosperity to the region in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the Musson slag heap, which over time collected all the slag from the mines on the Musson and Halanzy sides. Now cleaned up, it has been turned into a nature reserve managed by the DNF (Nature and Forestry Division).

Pine, oak (local and American species) and birch forests, moors, crops, pastures, ponds... this is the natural scenery that awaits you on this hike.

Let’s take a stroll through the woods whilst the wolf and the hunter are not there…This woodland walk offers lovely views of the countryside, not of the meandering Semois river nearby, but of the surrounding countryside and a few villages: Gros-Fays and Rochehaut, to name but two.The mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, grassy and stony paths, and forest and countryside trails makes for a well-balanced walk that never becomes monotonous.With a 460-metre elevation gain, it is not particularly difficult. Only the final climb from the Moulin de Liresse is a bit of a slog.Away from the beaten track and tourist hotspots, this walk is ideal for recharging your batteries in the forest and making the most of the natural surroundings.

Mer or Mère … signposts and place-name signs use both spellings. This stream rises in the hills south of Samrée and flows gently from cascade to cascade as far as Maboge, where it joins the Ourthe.Further on, the other main stream on this walk is indeed called the Belle Meuse and has recently been colonised by beavers, judging by photos taken in 2017 – when there was virtually no sign of them and fording the stream posed no major problem – and in 2022, when crossing the path at km 14 is impossible without the small wooden bridges added at the side or without putting on waders. It, too, rises in the hills, at La Fange aux Mochettes to the north-east of Samrée, and flows southwards to join the Martin Moulin stream between Achouffe and Engreux.

This hike, half in the forest and half in the countryside, starts at the car park of Chlorophylle Park, a forest theme park offering recreation, education and art. The path starts between the reception building, restaurant, terrace, toilets and souvenir shop, and the park itself.

Part countryside, part woodland, the walk offers lovely views across the slopes of the Lomme Valley and its surroundings.Of particular note are the Notre-Dame de Haurt Chapel and the nearby disused quarry (a protected site), the Clusure viewpoint, the Maison Espagnole, the Château de Burlin estate, the beautifully renovated farmhouse on Rue Belair, and the Notre-Dame des Pauvres Chapel – to name but a few of the walk’s highlights.

The mines, the mines of yesterday, the iron mines... this is the main theme of this hike.Fond-de-Gras is the most informative site on this subject: it was the station where narrow-gauge trains converged to unload iron ore into standard-gauge wagons bound for the steelworks and blast furnaces of Pétange, Differdange and others in Belgium and Germany.

The Bernistap Canal is a section of the canal that the Dutch had planned to build to link the Rhine to the Meuse via the Moselle and the Ourthe. Begun in 1827 during the reign of WilliamI, King of the Netherlands, work was suspended in 1830 during the Belgian revolution and finally abandoned when the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg gained independence. This canal has an underground section, the entrance to which on the Belgian side is still visible at km 1, if you are feeling adventurous. A few information panels are located along the canal between km 1 and km 2, as well as on the Luxembourg side (except for the section leading to the village of Hoffelt).

The walk takes you on a journey of discovery through the most wooded part of the Bocq valley, between the hamlets of Bauche and Chansin.The Bocq is the birthplace of numerous quarries and of the railway line that once linked Yvoir to Ciney, thereby facilitating the transport of quarry products. There are numerous drinking water abstraction points, now managed by VIVAQUA, as well as the brewery of the same name situated in the heart of Purnode.

Set off to explore the north of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and, in particular, Clervaux Abbey. Please note: this hike is not circular and is based on the concept of walks from station to station. We chose to leave our vehicle at the free P+R car park at Drauffelt station, from where the train takes hikers to Troisvierges free of charge (1 train per hour on track 1).

This magnificent walk takes you on a journey of discovery through the former mining sites operated by the A.R.B.E.D between Esch-sur-Alzette, Schifflange and Kayl. It is offered by the CFL (Luxembourg's railway company) as part of its Hike & Rail range of hiking trails from station to station and has been slightly modified by us at the start and finish.

This walk is quite challenging, not so much because of its length or total elevation gain, but rather due to the number of obstacles encountered along the Ourthe: mud, water, rocks that are difficult to cross and fallen trees often force walkers to stray from the ‘official’ paths and wind their way both horizontally and vertically. Challenging, then, but well worth the trip. The more adventurous may want to take a short detour to the Cheslé site.

When Mother Nature awakens, all our senses come alive! A lovely walk to take in early spring, when the leaves on the trees are a vibrant green and the first flowers are beginning to bloom and bring colour to the verges.

Quite a physical challenge due to its length and cumulative elevation gain, this lovely walk, set in magnificent surroundings, also requires a bit of off-trail walking at times to cross certain streams. Nothing too daunting, but you may occasionally need to stray from the paths and climb or descend a little through the countryside. The most challenging part is reaching the banks of the Semois from Rochehaut. The steep path, which is very poorly marked at km 8.5, is more like a trail run route than a hiking trail. Otherwise, it’s simply splendid. You pass the old mills at Liresse and (near) Gros-Fays, next to the footbridge at Frahan and across the one at Mouzaive. There’s just a short stretch of tarmac between Alle and Mouzaive and on the hillside before Gros-Fays.

Inthe 19th century, the Dumont family founded the Établissements de Chassart, modernised agriculture and livestock farming, and set up a sugar factory following the development of beet cultivation in the region. This was followed by the creation of a distillery and the production of the famous Chassart Vieille Cuvée genever. In 1906, the family name was ennobled to Dumont de Chassart.

The children in the group will love it… some of the adults, perhaps a little less so: around km 1, the GR®17 follows a barely visible path through mature forests, young spruce trees, young birch trees, broom and also a few brambles. It’s quite refreshing with the morning dew or after a good downpour!

This mainly woodland walk takes the walker from the centre of Poix-Saint-Hubert to the outskirts of Hatrival, where the route passes by the Écurie des Îles (a horse breeding and trading centre) before branching off into the woods again. There isa short stretch through fairly wild, overgrown terrain in the Bois de Poix around the 1 km mark. Shortly after the 7.5 km mark, the route literally plunges down the eastern slope of the Lomme (still known as L’Homme in some places) and passes under the Brussels–Luxembourg railway line. After a steep climb of a few hundred metres, the walk turns right to head back down towards the station and the starting point, passing by the village school.

Starting from the viewpoint overlooking the village of Tarverneux, the route heads east at first, then north-east as far as the Sommerain stream.After crossing it, the route heads out into the countryside on the heights of Brisy. A long descent towards the Ourthe follows… here it is the river’s eastern branch; the western branch flows successively through the communes of Libramont-Chevigny, Sainte-Ode, Tenneville and Bertogne before joining the main river at the Nisramont dam. The long climb that follows reaches the outskirts of Cetturu before descending again towards the Tavigny Stream. The next highest point of the walk is at a place known as ‘Les Deux Hêtres’. From there, the route descends towards the Ourthe, passing the Blancs Bois picnic shelter and barbecue area. Near the confluence of the Eastern Ourthe and the Cowan Stream, a little further upstream along the latter, stands the Moulin de l’Ermitage, which gave its name to the locality known as l’Hermitage. All that remains is to head back up to the starting point.

This walk explores some of the region's gems. The route passes successively by a mill on the Geer (Jeker in Dutch) with a wooden paddle wheel that is still fully functional, Neercanne Castle, the Cannerbos, a magnificent tree-lined avenue in the Milleniumbos, a few vineyards, the old Nekum mill (no longer with a wheel), the Maastricht Fort plateau with some beautiful views of the city, Huis de Torentjes, a curious cave/chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, the Zonneberg, the Slavantebos, the panoramic site of the former ENCI quarry, the Villa Castrum (admire the tuffeau stone used in its renovation) and, finally, the strange and extremely rare feature of the Geer, which passes under the Albert Canal via a siphon. All in all, this route offers a multitude of historical and educational points of interest for young and old alike.

The walk follows part of the ‘Sentier des Abbayes Trappistes de Wallonie’ (Wallonia Trappist Abbeys Trail), the ‘Grande Forêt du Pays de Chimay’ trail and a few other local walks.The walk takes you along the watershed between the English Channel and the North Sea and/or the Seine and the Meuse to Scourmont Abbey, better known as Chimay Abbey, mainly due to the beers and cheeses produced and sold by the Trappist monks.

Starting from the National Trust car park (free!) on Pinkneys Drive, the walk takes you to the green expanses of Pinkneys Green before heading towards Marlow through the countryside and forest.In Marlow, the original route joins the north bank of the Thames and follows it upstream to Temple Footbridge, which is unfortunately closed due to dilapidation and danger (missing/rotten planks). The alternative is 3 km of tarmac.This is followed by a pretty stretch along the Thames, passing Hurley Lock and the residences of Frogmill.The walk leaves the Thames, crosses Henley Road and takes a small path that runs alongside the Robinswood estate, where we saw a deer frolicking!Splendid horse pastures alternate with forest until you reach the top of Ashley Hill.Shortly after kilometre 17, the route passes through a huge osier bed belonging to Berkshire College of Agriculture and then enters the fields.

This 'short' family walk allows you to discover the Lauzelle woods and the Louvain-la-Neuve golf course.

From the village centre, the route first heads towards the church and its distinctive bell tower, then on to the castle via a beautiful tree-lined avenue.After a short tour of the castle grounds, head for the nature reserve overlooking the Hoyoux valley and the Vivaqua facilities upstream of the pumping station. This valley was once home to the village of Petit-Modave.The route follows the course of the Hoyoux (from quite a distance) through the woods to the beautifully restored old farmhouse of Tibiémont.A little further on, you will discover the hamlet of Val Tibiémont, located on either side of the Hoyoux. The ford, which can be quite impressive in flood conditions, is fortunately equipped with a small permanent footbridge. Please note that there is no railing, just a rather narrow slab laid on a few stone or concrete bases.At Clavier Station, the route follows the RAVeL, sometimes in open countryside, sometimes in the woods, to the old Modave-Village stop.

The vast, gently rolling countryside of this part of Hainaut is dotted with isolated farms scattered between villages and hamlets.The horizon is often blocked by trees, sometimes arranged in copses, sometimes in rows along paths or village streets, and sometimes grouped together in woods, such as those of Cambron or La Provision. And then, here and there, hidden around a bend in the road, you will find a castle or two.

Relatively unknown to hikers, the Hermeton is a rather wild river in the province of Namur, which flows into the Meuse on the left bank at Hermeton-sur-Meuse. This very accessible hike sets out to explore it around Soulme, passing by the Bonne-Fontaine site, its source, its tufa and its chapel located on the hillside between the Hermeton and Vodelée.

Set off on a walk themed around water and the forest from the hamlet of Lesse.The two main rivers in the region are the Our and the Lesse, which converge less than 2 km from the starting point.

A walk through the Oxfordshire countryside, roughly halfway between Reading and Oxford, featuring a very pretty stretch along the Thames between South Stoke and North Stoke.