Aisne (rivière) - Luxembourg - Affluent de l'Ourthe walks

At the intersection of the Condroz, Ardennes and Famenne regions, walk through limestone grasslands, forests and country lanes to reach Logne Castle and back. The bridges over the Aisne (5) and the Lembrée, after the (13), have temporarily disappeared. If you start this hike, please bear in mind that you may have to wade across the river (5) as there is no other alternative.

This outing in the northern part of the Plateau des Tailles stretches between the Fagnes de la Goutte and Pouhon (sources of the Aisne) and Grandménil (with its German Panzer and its 1944 museum). Mostly through woodland, the route follows fairly easy paths and tracks. Make sure you wear suitable footwear, especially after a spell of rain, as there are two fords that can sometimes be tricky to cross, one over the Aisne and the other over the stream in the Fagne de la Goutte, which is home to beavers.

The Tailles plateau rises to an altitude of around 650 metres, where fagnes, fanges, pools and peat bogs are home to the sources of many of the Ourthe’s tributaries. Two of the best-known streams are the Henri Moulin, which flows southwards and joins the Eastern Ourthe just before the Nisramont dam, and the Aisne, which flows northwards and joins the Ourthe at Bomal.This walk explores the northern part of the Plateau des Tailles and the wetlands where the Aisne has its source. The boardwalks installed in recent years at the bottom of the Fagne de Pouhon will save you from the wet feet that were a certainty in previous years! While you’re unlikely to spot any beavers, a bit of careful observation is all it takes to discover their handiwork.

No, the walk doesn’t follow the banks of the Ourthe for 18 km… that would probably be very pretty but too monotonous over such a distance.Starting from the centre of Barvaux, the route begins by climbing the hill on the western side towards Durbuy (which you can visit off the trail) and reaches the Ourthe at the new relief car park.From there, the walk follows the river for just over 3 km before leaving it to reach the plateau between Tohogne and Herbet.After descending to the Ourthe and passing through Bomal, the walk climbs up the other side of the Ourthe and follows the lovely ridge path through the Mont des Pins and Mont Pelé Nature Reserve.

This hike (on foot or by mountain bike) takes you to the Lafosse mill from the Forge-à-la-Plez station on the Aisne Tourist Tramway. The hike follows the Aisne river all the way. The return journey is via the same route.