Bastogne walks

We offer you a historical interlude in the footsteps of the series "Band of Brothers" and the Battle of Bastogne. During the winter of 1944-1945, here in the Ardennes, one of the longest and most gruelling battles of the Second World War took place.

Starting from Bastogne, set off to explore the Mardasson and its neighbouring villages, along roads and dirt tracks, both in the shade and out in the open.

This route takes us through wide open landscapes alternating with paths and tracks through the woodland. The surfaces are either tarmac or dirt, and the paths are often still overgrown with grass given the time of year and the fact that they are probably not used very often. That’s the charm of these moments spent in direct contact with nature.

A walk through fields and woodland, taking in an old water tower and a magnificent pond.

Between the three villages of Rachamps, Hardigny and Neufmoulin, nestled between woods and countryside 

This ride takes you into Luxembourg. It starts in Hardigny, passing through Haut-Bellain in Luxembourg, as well as Huldange, Wilwerdange, Drinklange, Binsfeld, Troisvierges and Hachiville, before returning to Belgium to rejoin the RAVEL...

Alternating between countryside and woodland sections, this circular route starting from Compogne allows you to discover a small part of the magnificent landscapes of the Two Ourthes Nature Park. There’s no Ourthe here, just the Cornaille stream and two of its tributaries. To see both Ourthes at a glance, the easiest way is to head to Engreux and walk down to the Adeps Centre at their confluence.

The two Ourthes – the Eastern Ourthe and the Western Ourthe – join at Engreux to form the Ourthe. Slightly downstream from their confluence, man has built the Nisramont dam to create Lake Nisramont.

The Ardennes aren’t just made up of coniferous forests… There are also valleys, pastures, hay meadows, copses and farmland… Come and discover this other side of the Ardennes with this circular route through open countryside.

Le Laval is the name given to the stream that originates upstream of Magerotte and flows into the Western Ourthe at Sainte-Ode after passing through Magery, Houmont, Rechrival, Laval (near Laval Castle), Fosset and Sprimont.‘Le Tram’ is the former local railway line that linked Marche to Bastogne: you’ll only really see the route itself near the ‘Espace de jeux’ in Chenogne. A number of signposted walks have been marked out in the region based on this railway line.This highly scenic walk takes you through the rolling Ardennes countryside, with its meadows and farmland. There is only 1.5 km of woodland on this route, towards the end between Chenogne and the gigantic commemorative cross erected ‘in the middle of nowhere’.

The countryside around Houffalize town centre is open and hilly, offering beautiful views of this lush green region.The eastern Ourthe and its tributaries are (still) fairly wild streams with sometimes rushing waters. The forests are mainly fir forests... there are not many deciduous forests in this area.

A waterside route passing several viewpoints, notably the confluence of the two Ourthes. The Nisramont Dam and two footbridges are essential for crossing from one bank to the other.Please note: this is a challenging walk (see practical information)

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).

Today, I’m inviting you on a short trip through the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, travelling from one Belgian village to another. The route takes in roads, paths and forest trails, and, if you’re lucky, you might spot roe deer or fallow deer in the undergrowth.

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.

A walk starting from Warnack and passing through Strainchamps, Hotte, Bodange, Wisemback and Radelange. Part of the route is in Luxembourg. The walk is mainly on forest paths with little tarmac.

Starting from Achouffe, discover the valley of the Ruisseau de Martin Moulin. The route follows forest paths and trails, ending with your feet in the water, and sometimes mud, on the path along the stream at the Moulin de Wihogne.

Superb walk, relatively difficult in its first part

Here is a circular walking route within the Two Ourthes Nature Park, offering a lovely mix of countryside and woodland (alternating between coniferous and deciduous trees) with magnificent views of the Ardennes hills between La Roche-en-Ardenne and the Pays de Bastogne. The section along the River Ourthe is wonderfully wild, and progress is slower here than on the wide country lanes to the north of the route. It is likely that this route would be impassable without getting your feet wet in the event of heavy flooding.

Circular hike around Lake Haute-Sûre and Pont Misère. Between trails and viewpoints, a concentration of the best paths and trails with a more substantial distance.

Starting from the Pont Misère, head towards the side of the lake least exposed to the sun – you’ll be able to tell by the vegetation you encounter. Pass by the Burfelt viewpoint, Inserborn beach, the Lultzhausen sculpture trail and finish at the ruins of Esch-sur-Sûre Castle.

This trail takes you on a tour of Lake Haute-Sûre. Set in the heart of the Haute-Sûre Nature Park, this lakeside walk offers magnificent views in all seasons. Along the 41 km route, you’ll discover the Lultzhausen sculpture trail, the Burfelt viewpoint, the ruins of Esch-sur-Sûre Castle, the Baschleiden-Tempelskamp observation tower and the Kaundorf 1940–45 bunker.

A challenging walk in the Upper Ourthe region, along the wildest and most picturesque section of the valley. Discover an ancient Celtic fortress and the Hérou panorama, rated 2 stars by Michelin.

The route starts near Arsdorf and takes you to the Lac de la Haute Sûre, following the course of a river through beautiful countryside; the return journey follows a branch of the lake and then another river. To return to the starting point, the route passes through the small village of Kuborn and then Neunhausen.

The route passes through the Ourthe Orientale nature reserve. Here, in particular, you can admire the typical flora and fauna.Steinbach is a charming Ardennes village with an agricultural heritage, featuring numerous farms and small farmhouses built of schist stone and roofed with slate (cherbins = local slate). Its historical past is evident in the presence of castle-like farms and enclosed farmsteads dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, which have been carefully restored.