mich simon

A lovely walk offering an interesting variety of paths, trails and quiet streets, where you can discover the Ciply slag heap as well as the small Ronvaux nature reserve, home to several species of bat.

A lovely walk where you can explore the creutes and the village of Paissy, as well as the pretty valley overlooked by the village; the village’s bell tower will be visible almost the whole way along the route, so there’s no risk of getting lost.

This is a pleasant walk through rolling fields and quiet little streets, starting from the pretty village of Bougnies. Here you can discover the “living” statue on the site of the old, ruined open-air theatre.

A lovely route along country lanes and footpaths. Discover the beautiful Noirchain slag heap and the secret paths of the old Ciply quarries. Lovely views from the fields and the charm of shaded paths make for a pleasant walk, despite the noise of the motorway at the very end of the route.

A pleasant walk through the woods, allowing you to discover the hidden contours of the woodland, the meandering Ruisseau de Colfontaine and the woodland paths. “Ah! This wood, so beautiful and picturesque, with its whimsical paths disappearing into the valleys, following the unexpected twists and turns of the chattering streams and climbing the rugged slopes; its lanes, running from the R’mite cellar, passing not far from the Fountain, all the way to the Pavilion, veering off towards Blaugies or returning towards the first roundabout, its grassy paths winding through the thickets towards the Croatte tavern, or leading you back to the Baraque-à-Ramons, towards the Blondiau skittles alley! What a sight of couples dressed in their Sunday best! What a host of merry and boisterous groups! It was as though all the lovers of the Borinage had taken possession of the Wood…’ Dr Valentin Van Hassel (website link below) If it’s a wet season, make sure you wear suitable footwear as the site (4) is often muddy in such conditions. Currently (June 2025) the ground is dry.

An interesting walk along the village paths and beside the Trouille, where you can discover Givry’s many footbridges. The route follows mainly paths to begin with, then winds through the narrow river valley and along its higher banks, offering a variety of landscapes, before ending in the village as you follow the river.

An easy country walk starting from the German-British cemetery of the 1914–1918 war. This cemetery is well worth a visit for its unique layout and its century-old trees, which make it a small botanical park. Here lie the first Commonwealth soldier killed in action and the last! You will notice the presence of numerous flint fragments, which gave the Champ à Cailloux its name.

A pleasant, easy walk through gently rolling fields dotted with copses and hedgerows.

An easy walk along a long hedgerow, which then gives way to paths through open fields, offering beautiful, sweeping views of the countryside.

A walk starting from the Sept Hornu-Wasmes slag heap, offering sweeping views of the Borinage and its mining heritage. The cemetery features an unusual piano-shaped memorial. Paths, disused roads, the RAVel cycle route and footpaths make up this easy route, apart from the climb up the slag heap. A walking stick may be useful for the climb; in wet weather, large puddles may form on the path running alongside the N550, so please wear waterproof shoes in such conditions.

A walk from the picturesque village of Harveng, through fields and sunken lanes, with lovely views of the surrounding countryside. At point (5), however, you will need to walk along the edge of a field for 200 m; it appears the path has been partially ploughed.

A pleasant walk, mainly away from traffic, along the RAVeL and country lanes, exploring the sites of the Malogne and the former Crachet coal mine, now the Frameries Science Adventure Park.

A lovely walk along paths and trails through fields and vineyards in a gently rolling landscape dotted with wind turbines and distant views.

Circular route around the Genly slag heap, through meadows dotted with horses and offering a lovely view of the region.

A lovely rural walk between these two villages, where four wind turbines are currently being erected at a place called Tout Vent, offering a lovely view of the Borinage slag heaps, the horses from the stud farm grazing in the meadows at Noirchain, and the deconsecrated church at Asquillies, which was converted into a home in 2014. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noirchain

A lovely walk, half through the countryside and half through woodland, along the paths of Warquignies and the Bois de Saint-Ghislain, where you can enjoy the coolness of the Ruisseau d’Elwasmes on hot days. It is worth noting that the Bois de Saint-Ghislain is, curiously, situated between Dour and Warquignies.

Discover the charming little village of Bougnies, where Belgium’s first youth hostel was built in 1939. The sunken paths and country lanes at the foot of the wind turbines, with their distant views, make this an enjoyable, easy walk.

The Hyon waterfall, the Trouille river, quiet streets, paths, wooded and country lanes leading up to Bois là Haut enhance this 5 km walk, which is slightly steep in places. Information boards provide details about the history of the waterfall site.

Country lanes and the edge of the forest feature on this gentle seven-kilometre route.

A country walk from the church in Nouvelles, discovering the flint site and enjoying beautiful views of the surrounding area. Sunken lanes, footpaths, panoramic views and information panels about the flint mines are all part of the itinerary.

A pleasant, slightly undulating woodland walk past the Grand Bouillon slag heaps, starting from the Tour du Lait Buré.

A walk that’s half through woodland and half across open countryside, where you’ll discover the remains of the Sauwartan coal mine and the site of an old watermill, as well as “Nounours” the llama. The more adventurous can climb to the top of the slag heap.

A family-friendly, rural walk along the village’s quiet paths and streets.Sars-la-Bruyère was first mentioned on 25 October 1185. Its name derives from the Latin *sartum*, meaning ‘cleared’ or ‘weeded’ land, and the village was built along the Roman road between Bavay and Utrecht. It witnessed the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709 and fighting between American and German forces in September 1944.