Circular route around Grez-Doiceau

The villages of Bossut and Gottechain were merged in 1811 to form the municipality of Bossut-Gottechain. The 1977 municipal reform incorporated both into the entity of Grez-Doiceau.With this little page of Belgian history turned, the walk starts from the square in Bossut and takes you on a route that is more rural in Wallonia and more wooded in Flanders (Meerdaalbos), another Belgian story as the route straddles the two neighbouring provinces of Brabant.

A very beautiful walk. Starting near the Nodebais pond. Passing by a few houses decorated by local artists (ceramics on the facades) then along paths through the countryside. There are few roads on this walk, mainly country lanes.

Between Walloon Brabant and the Meerdael Forest, this walk combines nature, history and legends. The Nethen, a discreet river, winds its way between meadows and woods before joining the Dyle. Its banks are home to trout, kingfishers and dragonflies.In the Meerdael Forest and at Les 12 Bonniers, oak and beech trees dominate a world of mosses, mushrooms and discreet animals. The Ferme de la Houlotte recalls the rural life of yesteryear, while the tawny owl watches over the grounds.The medieval mound of Nethen and the castle of Florival bear witness to the valley's feudal past. Further on, the Nethen sandpit and the Grande Marbaise reveal an ancient seascape, now a refuge for rare flora and sand lizards. At Florival and the Pécrot pond, reeds and orchids create a peaceful scene. Between rivers, forests and memories of times gone by, Nethen invites you to explore and contemplate.

An easy walk through woods and along the Meerdaal Forest and meadows with beautiful views of the Nethen valley.

The Fort des Voiles, also known as Ferme Rose for obvious reasons, was successively used as a glass furnace, a flour mill and a fish farm (trout).The name Fort des Voiles is thought to come from a distortion of "for à voires", which in Walloon means "glass furnace".In the 17th century, the glass industry required a lot of wood, which would explain its geographical location.The fish farm was created a little further down, along the Ruisseau du Glabais stream, and operated from 1950 until around 2000, when the presence of beavers and a sewage treatment plant, located upstream of the stream and inadequately protected against flooding, forced the owners to cease operations for health reasons.The current buildings date from the 1920s.

This invitation to discover Walloon Brabant, on the border between Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, alternates between countryside and forest, nature and urban areas, as well as a short section in the northern zone of Wavre, passing by the unmissable GSK, one of the largest employers in Wallonia.

Chaumont-Gistoux, like many places in Walloon Brabant, is full of small paths and trails connecting the villages, hamlets and neighbourhoods of the area. This is one of the highlights of the walk.

This walk is suitable for Nordic walking. Huldenberg is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the linguistic border. The region is known for its table grape cultivation and the De Doode Bemde nature reserve. Doode means 'dead' (soil unsuitable for agriculture) and Bemde means 'wet meadow'.