Balcons de Meuse 3 / Ville-sur-Lumes, Gernelles, Issancourt-Rumel

If arriving via the motorway, drive through the village of Ville-sur-Lumes, heading towards Gernelle/Saint-Laurent. At the roundabout, turn right and park to visit the vicus and the arboretum. A visit to the whole site can take an hour, depending on your interest and the weather.

(S/E) After your visit, walk right to the top of the Sarteaux housing estate and turn left onto the dirt track that runs alongside the arboretum to reach a small road; turn right onto this.

(1) At the top of the hill, at the junction just past the pumping station, turn right towards Gernelle. The road passes through the woods and takes you past the “Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature”, a very recent building. Continue on to Gernelle

(2) Take the first street on the right, Rue des Sources, then Rue des Fermes. At the junction, carry on to the right again.

(3) You’ll come to a wayside cross (geodetic marker). Directly opposite, a chapel in front of the cemetery is dedicated to Saint Roch, the patron saint invoked by the local people during plague epidemics; Saint Barbara, whose church is said to have once housed one of her arms; and Saint Hubert, a familiar figure in the Ardennes.
A bench beneath an ancient lime tree offers a view of one of the canton’s most beautiful valleys.
Walk down the hill to Rumel.

(4) Continue by turning right towards Issancourt. On your left, you’ll find the Robin des Loups, still referred to on some maps as the “Ruisseau d’Issancourt”. Along this stream, metallurgical activities were once carried out, utilising its energy via water mills.

(5) In the village of Issancourt, carry on straight on towards Ville-sur-Lumes. Pass the church, built in 1789, then discover the “Château de Rume”, a former fortified farm dating from around 1050, which is currently being restored.
Private ponds are home to a varied population of birds: ducks, cranes, herons, white-fronted geese, and more, depending on the migration season.

(6) You will then reach the Marais du Paradis, one of the last peat bogs in the Crêtes Préardennaises, a protected area. Via Boisenval, continue on to Ville-sur-Lumes

(7) Take the footpath (closed to vehicles) which branches off to the right before the junction. Turn right onto Rue de Biscara to reach Place du Robin des Loups, in front of the school. A signpost indicating possible walks marks out routes organised by the Balcons de Meuse walking club.
To the right, follow a dirt track that runs behind the church and continues on to Les Sarteaux (S/E).

There are no shops in these three villages, so make sure you take enough water with you, as you would for a standard countryside walk.

The village of Gernelle is very charming, with numerous farms and houses restored using local stone. The Rue des Autrichiens serves as a reminder that this part of the country did not once belong to us and only became French in the mid-18th century, as the name of the square suggests.

Arboretum and Gallo-Roman vicus at Les Sarteaux.
House of Hunting and Nature.
Marais du Paradis.
Rume Castle.
Saint-Laurent Wildlife Park.