Around Phalempin and its forest

fr

15 Km circuit in and around the Phalempin Forest. Start from the carpark opposite the Phalempin church.

Technical sheet

n°14161
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 30 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 30 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 59 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 30 m
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Photos

Drève d'Attiches
Cinq Tailles ornithological site
Pedestrian path running along the back of the house gardens
Hermitage Castle

Description of the walk

Start: Start from Phalempin church car park.

(S/E) Leave the church behind you and take Rue Pasteur (North-West), then turn right into Rue Jean Mermoz, then right again into Rue Victor Hugo. At the next crossroads, turn left into Rue Albert Herman, then immediately right into the path between the soccer stadium and the riding school. Follow the path to the right, which passes behind the riding school. The path joins the D62.

(1) Cross the road and take Rue Du Plouick almost opposite, cross the railroad line and follow this road to a sharp right-hand bend; take the paved track on the left just after the last houses. Follow the path until you cross the bridge over the A1 freeway.

(2) Turn right immediately afterwards. The paved road turns left twice and joins the D8 at the edge of Attiches. Stay on the same road (Rue de la Grande Poterie then Rue de la Faisanderie) (GR®121B), which turns right. After the last house, turn left at right-angles (GR®121B). Follow the path as it approaches the forest (leaving the GR®° to enter the forest without following it), continuing as far as the D8.

(3) Take this road to the right, then leave it 300m further on, crossing it to the left (south-east) and taking the Drève d'Attiche which leads straight on to Drumez. At the end of the forest, continue straight on the D54 and GR®121B to Drumez.

(4) In Drumez, follow the main road (D54) as it bends to the right, and as you leave the village, continue straight ahead (GR® and Route des Cailles) on the path that enters the forest. Follow the GR®121B to Phalempin. At the end of the forest, go along the edge of the road on the right, turn left once, then right again, and follow the road which bends to the left until it reaches the D8 in the village of "La Neuville".

(5) Turn right on the D8, then left on Rue de Wahagnies. Turn right onto the small footpath that runs along the back of the house gardens. Follow it until you reach the forest, then turn right at the roundabout.

(6) Turn left onto the Sentier Forestier de l'Ermitage. Pass the Maison Forestière de l'Ermitage (small château), then turn left (south-south-west) to join the Drève des Morts.

(7) Turn right (North-West) and follow the path (you'll see two ponds below on the right). Bend right then left, follow the edge of the road and enter the woods until you reach the D62A.

(8) Turn left, cross the bridge over the freeway. Follow the road straight ahead until you reach the church and car park(S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 34 m - Church of Phalempin
  2. 1 : km 1.02 - alt. 32 m - D62
  3. 2 : km 2.75 - alt. 46 m - A1 motorway bridge
  4. 3 : km 5.69 - alt. 57 m - D8 to the right
  5. 4 : km 8.12 - alt. 43 m - Drumez, right
  6. 5 : km 10.11 - alt. 56 m - La Neuville, D8 to the right
  7. 6 : km 11.3 - alt. 53 m - Left-hand roundabout
  8. 7 : km 12.31 - alt. 58 m - Drève des Morts, on the right
  9. 8 : km 14.04 - alt. 42 m - D62A, left
  10. S/E : km 15.25 - alt. 34 m - Church of Phalempin

Practical information

Start & Parking: Start from Phalempin church car park.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 33 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Visorandoneur5187
Visorandoneur5187

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Nice route, but don't expect breathtaking scenery.
For me, this hike is more about exercise than discovery.
Also, be aware that the only place we found to stop and eat was just before the 11th kilometre. It's a playground with a picnic tables behind a school.

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SophieMichon
SophieMichon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

For a first hike as a duo, it was very instructive and reassuring, as we found it very well signposted.

We preferred the second part.

Please note: there are a few track crossings to be made and some of the paths were very muddy after a period of rain. We should have had better footwear.

Thanks again to the person who made this route.

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Cathrine
Cathrine

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Lack of signposting

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LaureDbc
LaureDbc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Quite a pleasant walk, although some of the straight roads were a bit long to follow, and a bit more forest would have been nice. But the second part was great.
Watch out for cars before Drumez on the D54, it goes quite fast.
Thanks a lot!

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NouetNet
NouetNet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk!
The description is good and it's easy to find your way. However, it sometimes lacks a few useful details (e.g. clarification that you have to walk along a road, etc.).
Nice walk, with a very pleasant passage through the woods on the second half.
Would benefit from being more in the forest in some places.

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Michel D2.
Michel D2.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

This is the second time I've followed this route. This time we set off from Drumez towards Petit Attiches and then Attiches and Phalempin. We stopped around 1pm for lunch at the estaminet L'École which I recommend. In the afternoon we returned via La Neuville in the shade via L'Ermitage as it was very hot. To sum up, it's a great circuit to do in 2 parts.

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fab59150
fab59150

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

More of a walking than a hiking route, despite a few passages through the Phalempin forest
paths used extensively by walkers, runners and a few cyclists, but there's no rush on Sunday mornings either
Quite a lot of cobbles and tarmac, but as these are small roads, it's not a problem at all.
I enjoyed the second half of the route, which is a GR.
Ideal for beginners as it's not at all technical but should be avoided in hot weather as there's a lot of open ground.

I'd do it again in any case as it's only 30 minutes from my home in the forest and it's very pleasant.

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Franfran27
Franfran27

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk. The explanations are clear, even if you have to be careful not to make any mistakes.
Do it again and again. Thank you for this itinerary!

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Julien.dup
Julien.dup

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk, a little monotonous in places but very quiet. In autumn, the colours of the forest are magnificent.
As you pass through the villages, you will see some beautiful, imposing villas.

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natdu
natdu

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Very beautiful forest. I avoided the first part of the town and motorway by starting from the Etangs car park, located at the Drève Noire near the D62 A, in the opposite direction to the route. I continued on to the Cinq Tailles ornithological site, following the edge of the forest. There are observatories there where you can see the birds in their natural environment. It's a magnificent sight! I walked around the ponds to get to point 4, but I'm not sure if there's a path. I had to cross a field at one point. So for those who don't like adventure, it's better to make a detour as far as the observatory and then return along the marked path. The Drève d'Attiches is quite monotonous, 2 km of tarmac. I reached the car park via the GR 121 B and the Drève Jules Goffart.

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Stef de Caen
Stef de Caen

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The first part is not very pleasant because the noise of the motorway is very present. We cut through the forest several times because we don't like walking on tarmac. We made a short detour to the birdwatching site. Very nice.

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Isa W
Isa W
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice hike, already done at the end of December with a friend and I was pleasantly surprised to have the impression of discovering a new hike because the vegetation had changed so much... I'll do it again in summer and autumn...
A varied route, with very little tarmac: a real pleasure!
Thanks to Lausanne for this route!
PS: please bear in mind the previous comments about the accuracy of certain sections (turn left at a paved path that has been covered at the beginning for a few metres and, towards the end, turn left into rue de la Taille, etc.).

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lucienne49
lucienne49

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 21, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Two brief comments: point 1 of the description, the paved path on the left is now tarmac on the 1st part; point 4, this is not the route des Cailles but the route des Tailles.

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dancamphin
dancamphin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

a varied ride alternating between forest, countryside and a bit of town
completed in 3h40

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Lad59
Lad59

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

To be specified in the route description: start: "follow the path to the right behind the riding school but before the horse quarry.
2) specify: take the paved path but first tarmac for 200m

4) correct: route des tailles and not route des cailles

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