Circular route starting from Omezée, Belgium’s smallest village

Set off along the small paths and trails to explore the villages of Omezée, Romedenne and Surice, and follow the Hermeton to Moulin Bayot.

Details

4392033
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.85 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 199 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 198 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 263 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 151 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the rest area near the Omezée cave, by the sewage treatment plant.

(S/E) Walk past the cave on the right to reach a crossroads featuring a magnificent lime tree. Leave the crossroads on your right and continue north-west to a small hamlet, near a house adorned with a very beautiful tree.

(1) Follow the road branching off to the right. Cross a copse and, at the edge of a woodland, leave a grassy path on your right and enter the woodland. At the crossroads, continue along a grassy path that descends to the right. Walk alongside a planted area protected by a fence on the left.

(2) A few dozen metres further on, turn right onto a well-marked grassy path that descends towards the Oméri stream, cross it and follow the right bank. Pass a ford on the left and, via a sharp bend to the right, head back up towards the plateau. Stay on the main path, which becomes a road again, to reach a crossroads at Omezée church.

(3) Turn left towards the Institut Saint-Feuillen (sign on the church wall). You will soon reach a Y-junction; turn right, pass the cemetery and reach another fork.

(4) Take the tarmac path on the left. Further on, it turns into a dirt track and then a footpath, beginning a long descent, which can be a bit tricky in places if the ground is wet, before joining a road.

(5) Follow the road to the right; this is the Chemin de Soulme, and it climbs slightly.

(6) When the road bends to the right, take a path on the left. It soon bends to the right then to the left and descends in a straight line. After a few metres, take care not to miss the path that branches off to the right to reach the left bank of the Hermeton. Caution: the final section of the descent is steep for about 150 m. Join a wide path and follow it to the right until you reach a footbridge on your left that crosses the Hermeton.

(7) Cross the footbridge and take the path on the right that runs alongside the river. The path becomes a track and leads to Moulin Bayot (view from behind). Walk along the leat of the mill and join a road.

(8) Follow the road to the right and cross the Hermeton. After a few metres, take a path on the right that leads back towards Moulin Bayot (bus stop). You’ll reach a Y-junction (to admire the front façade of Moulin Bayot, take a detour to the right and back).

(9) Take the stony path on the left which climbs uphill. As you leave the woods, take the path which branches off to the left, slightly downhill, and which will lead you, after crossing the Fond des Vaux stream, via a steep climb, to the entrance to the village of Romedenne.

(10) Turn right towards the village centre, leaving Rue de la Fontaine on your right, continue to a Y-junction and take the left-hand lane (Rue de Vodelée). At the next T-junction, go down to the left and, after a few metres, go up to the right via Rue des Écoles. Turn left very quickly, then right to go past the church; continue straight on for a few metres and, before the pharmacy, turn left onto Rue de la Forge (Musée de la Forge).

(11) Turn left onto a lovely path continuing from the street and take a moment to look to your right for some beautiful views over the Hermeton valley. Pass a path on your left and, further on, take the concrete path on the left at the Ruisseau du Fond des Vaux to enter the village of Surice.

(12) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue des Ruelles. Leave it to the right, cross a junction and head towards the church, passing it on the right (lovely view of the castle). Quickly take the path to the right, then to the left, cross the Ruisseau du Fond des Vaux via a footbridge and join the Chemin de Soulme; follow it to the left and reach Rue de la Caracole, which branches off to the left.

(13) Take this road and, after a right-angle bend, turn right and take the stony path on the left.

(14) Stay on the main path, skirt the woods on the right and reach a fork taken on the way out.

(4) Turn left and follow the route you took on the way there in the opposite direction to return to the crossroads by the church at Omezée.

(3) Turn left and follow Rue d'Omezée back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 232 m - Rest area near the Omezée cave
  2. 1 : km 0.55 - alt. 246 m - Hamlet, path to the right
  3. 2 : km 2.18 - alt. 210 m - Path leading down to the right
  4. 3 : km 3.87 - alt. 245 m - Église Saint-Feuillien (Omezée)
  5. 4 : km 4.3 - alt. 246 m - Junction of the southern circular loop
  6. 5 : km 5.89 - alt. 170 m - Chemin de Soulme
  7. 6 : km 6.59 - alt. 204 m - Path leading down towards Hermeton
  8. 7 : km 7.35 - alt. 154 m - Footbridge - Hermeton (rivière) - Belgique
  9. 8 : km 8.14 - alt. 157 m - Road
  10. 9 : km 8.48 - alt. 174 m - Turn left
  11. 10 : km 9.57 - alt. 197 m - Romedenne
  12. 11 : km 10.22 - alt. 216 m - Rue de la Forge
  13. 12 : km 11.16 - alt. 207 m - Rue aux Ruelles
  14. 13 : km 11.92 - alt. 209 m - Rue de la Caracole
  15. 14 : km 12.24 - alt. 219 m - Gravel path
  16. S/E : km 13.85 - alt. 231 m - Rest area (bench) in Omezée

Notes

Moderate difficulty. Walking poles for the two descents and good walking shoes.
Water point off the trail about 200 m from the first footbridge. Cross it, go straight up, turn left at the T-junction, and at the next Y-junction, take the right-hand branch which climbs steeply. Return via the same route.
(14) Shelter at Surice in Parc de la Vignette – BBQ.

Worth a visit

(14) Village of Surice: on the left, on the wall of a farm building, a painting by local artist Marcel Lupsin.
Drive to Soulme, one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia and home to the Moulin de Soulme.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Simon M.
Simon M.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The entire route is straightforward, except for the section leading out of the village of Surice.

Machine-translated

pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Thank you for your comments and helpful clarifications regarding the water points and the picnic area

Machine-translated

etx61
etx61

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, with fields, woods, old stone buildings and some lovely views.
Absolutely peaceful, lovely route.
Accurate description and route.

A quick note about the BBQ shelter in Surice: 6 tables and 12 benches, all completely sheltered from the rain.
As for water points, generally speaking there is a water point in every cemetery in every village.

Machine-translated

pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Hello, I’m really glad you enjoyed the walk. Regarding the (11) in Romedenne, I quite like wandering through the village streets and it is indeed possible, starting from the (10), to follow – after passing Rue de la Fontaine St Pierre on your right – the street which, still heading right, climbs directly towards the church (Rue Bourgmestre Octave Targez) and, after the chemist’s, at the Forge Museum (which I’ve never seen open or accessible to the public), turn right onto Rue de la Forge towards Surice.
Regarding Surice and the route through the village, I hope that, if you tried to go through the gate, you weren’t chased away with a pitchfork or pursued by a pack of dogs....
I have amended the route on the map; thank you for your comment.

My wife and I mapped out this route in winter; if you have any more recent photos, please feel free to add them to the website.

I look forward to meeting you, perhaps on one of these walks.

Machine-translated

tokyomontana
tokyomontana

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk through villages where people greet you and sometimes strike up a chat, or simply offer you something to quench your thirst (water, that is )
The description wasn’t always very clear to us, but that’s no doubt because we’re new to the site. However, at point 11, we didn’t veer off at all but took a path continuing along the road (which also split into a path veering off to the right)
In Surice, the instructions aren’t very clear, and a path on the route shortly after the church was blocked by a gate (12 Take the path quickly); in my opinion, the description would benefit from being simplified. In fact, from the church we followed the path that goes round the property and back towards the Chemin de Soulme, which we followed to the left, then took the first left (Rue de la Caracole. It’s a shame I can’t insert a screenshot to show you

Thank you in any case for this lovely walk

Machine-translated

pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Hello, thank you for your comments. I have made the suggested change. I had tested the route with some friends and they had also noticed this path. Please note that this path can be found between (2) and (3), coming from the right. (This makes sense, as the route is circular: ).
As for the elevation gain, I’ve got the same result as you; in my view, the difference is down to the Visorando app. To get closer to the exact elevation gain and distance, you’d have to increase the number of points on the route, which might make reading the map a bit tricky. But you’re right; I’ll try to be more ‘meticulous’ on my future hikes.
Finally, regarding the uncertainty about leaving Surice, please do let me know about any problems you encounter; I’ll correct it if it helps other hikers.
Pierre Gobin.

Machine-translated

Pierre Maniquet
Pierre Maniquet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

1. We recorded the elevation gain using Strava: 275 m, whereas 173 m was stated....
2. Hesitation regarding (1)
Follow the road that branches off to the right. Cross a copse and continue to the woods.
Add: “Enter this woodland” as there is a grassy path on the right before the entrance to the woodland.... !!!
3. A few uncertainties also on the way out of Surice.

Kind regards,
P.Mqt

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.