Ham-sur-Sambre circular

A short hike in the woods of Ham and Roly, and along the Sambre. You can hike with a dog without any problems and also mountain bike, but perhaps in the other direction as the Bois Roly has quite a steep gradient, which is easier to descend by bike than to climb.

Details

n°4273954

Creation:
29 Oct 2020

Last update:
22 Sep 2021

Last review:
22 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 10.39 km
Average duration: 3h 25
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 148 m
Descent: - 151 m
Highest point: 218 m
Lowest point: 83 m

Country: Belgium
Area:
District: Fosses-la-Ville
Start/End: N 50.419211° / E 4.697182°
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Description of the walk

It is no longer possible to park at the start of the trail, but if you take Rue de Gilberoux in the other direction, just after the bend, there is a place where model aircraft enthusiasts fly their planes and there are parking spaces. It is at the junction with Rue Cortil Mozet (which is a dirt track). At the end of the walk, instead of taking the Taravisée road, you can continue along the dirt track at point 10, but if it has rained on the day of your walk, it will be very muddy as it is in a hollow.

(S/E) Head west along the edge of the woods.

Red and yellow markings for^{the GRP®125}

(1) At the junction with the^GR®125, take it northwards, turning right when you reach the junction. Continue straight on to point 2; the paths to the right and left are private.

(2) Keep left and continue for 200 metres

No markings

Leave the^GR®125and continue straight ahead on Rue Chaumont. Go to the junction.

(3) Turn right onto Rue du Try du Bois. At the entrance to Rue de la Vallée, you can visit the Domaine Marial Notre-Dame du Pauvre Tunnel. Continue straight ahead until you reach the junction between the^GR®412East and the^GR®125.

Red and yellow markings for^{the GR®125}

(4) At the village exit, where Rue Try du Bois splits in two, take the left branch downhill and follow the^GR®125again. Continue along Rue des Praules. When this street turns right, take a path on the left.

(5) After about 50 metres, turn right. Immediately turn right again and walk between the old arm of the Sambre, now a fishing pond, on your right and the Sambre on your left. Further on, join Rue du Longwez and follow it for 250 metres , taking care between two sections of towpath: there is no pavement and cars drive fast. Then follow the towpath along the Sambre, still on the^GR®125.

(6) Pass the Mornimont lock and continue along the Sambre until you reach Rue de la Mouchelotte. Follow it to the left for a few dozen metres.

(7) Leave the road and turn right into the Bois Roly (^GR®125).

No signposts

(8) Leave the^GR®125by going straight ahead, exit the woods and continue to Rue de Deminche.

(9) Head west (right) to return to Fosse-la-Ville, passing under the N90.

(10) At the crossroads, keep to the right, pass in front of the Franière strawberry farm, an ideal place to stop during the season to finish the hike.

Continue along Chemin de Taravisée to reach Rue de Taravisée, which you follow to the left. Please note that there is no pavement here either and cars tend to drive a little fast (take care). Return to the starting point at the junction with Rue de Gilberoux (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 209 m - Parking is available along the roadside
1 : km 0.71 - alt. 214 m - GR°°®°°125 junction
2 : km 2.97 - alt. 117 m - Crossroads
3 : km 3.48 - alt. 111 m - Rue du Try du Bois
4 : km 4.06 - alt. 107 m - Rue Try du Bois - GR125
5 : km 4.34 - alt. 91 m - Fork in the road
6 : km 6.79 - alt. 84 m - Mornimont lock - Sambre à finaliser
7 : km 7.41 - alt. 100 m - The GR125 enters the Bois Roly
8 : km 8.05 - alt. 188 m - Abandon GR°°®°°125
9 : km 8.45 - alt. 193 m - Rue de Deminche
10 : km 8.93 - alt. 198 m - Crossroads
S/E : km 10.39 - alt. 209 m - Parking is available along the roadside

Notes

If you are walking in the evening or after dark, remember to wear a high-visibility vest, especially on Rue du Longwez and Rue de Taravisée.

Worth a visit

Approximately 1.5 km from point (1) on the^{GR® trail}, there has been a memorial since 2015 in honour of the soldiers who died at this location in 1914.

After the (3), there is a small Way of the Cross, the Domaine Marial Notre-Dame du Pauvre Tunnel.

Next to the (10), the Franière strawberry field, strawberries, tomatoes and raspberries in season.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4.4 / 5

EzioAuditore

22 Aug 2025 at 12:56 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike.
A few muddy sections.
I parked my car at the side of the road at the indicated starting point, just before the private property.
Completed the loop in 2 hours without stopping.

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Vincentvince67

22 Mar 2025 at 16:34 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A hike without too many difficulties, but the last part, when you reach Roly Wood after the towpath, is still challenging.
The start of the hike is really lovely, as is the section through the Roly woods.
As for the rest, there's too much tarmac for my liking and the towpath isn't really interesting, except to see the Mornimont lock.

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JacquesVa

17 Mar 2025 at 09:41 3600 • Edited: 17 Mar 2025 at 09:43 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk, fairly easy (I'm not very athletic). The only downside is the end of the hike. About 1 km on a road with quite a bit of traffic. Otherwise, mostly in the woods. I don't use the markings but follow the GPS track, so I don't really have an opinion on the markings

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Lenam96

10 Aug 2024 at 17:44 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The sections through the woods are great, but the tarmac towpath is hard on the legs!
To park, we pulled over to the side of the road by the strawberry field (on Rue de Taravisée), so we were on the route and avoided the long detour to the designated emergency car park.
At the start of point 5, the path is not very well maintained, so it might be better to go directly onto the towpath...
Thank you in any case for this hike!

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Manele Sirine

14 Mar 2022 at 08:17 3600

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It was on the 13th that we wanted to go on this hike
But right from the start, we got lost because we couldn't find the path.
We gave up and went for a leisurely stroll instead
And that's true for most of your hikes
It's a shame.

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Yogiyoga

07 Sep 2021 at 20:29 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello Sherdadolf,
First of all, thank you for this superb hike.
A few points to note on our part.
We parked on the trail at the starting point without knowing it was prohibited. However, this was pointed out to us in a friendly manner with a note on the windscreen.
In the woods, some areas were very muddy despite the good weather at the beginning of September 2021. Our shoes got muddy up to our ankles. The climb after the lock and the short stretch on the road were quite a challenge for us, as we are in our sixties and seventies. But as all work deserves its reward, we were proud to have completed the circular route.
As for our appreciation, it was great.
Yogiyoga

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Alain Volon

17 May 2021 at 10:30 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

With the app on your mobile phone, there are no map issues.
The last few kilometres (2 km) are in the countryside, which is very busy with cars driving at high speed.

Otherwise, it's fine overall.

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pjacmin

04 Jan 2021 at 17:10 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with a few challenging sections.
The end is a little less enjoyable (road), but overall it's a very nice walk (with plenty of variety).

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Fabyvre

21 Dec 2020 at 09:21 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

As always, a very good description. A magnificent hike.
The footbridge is finished!

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bichenana

09 Dec 2020 at 18:50 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, pleasant and varied.
To avoid the last part on the road, we took the dirt track opposite us (no. 10) towards the wind turbines. We then turned right and continued straight on to return to the starting point.

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isabelleseny

23 Nov 2020 at 09:31 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, despite ending on a country road that was quite busy with traffic...
The forest is beautiful at this time of year and we heard (but didn't see) a nuthatch.

The benches near the lock allowed us to comfortably enjoy our picnic.

One downside: when you leave the towpath to walk on the road, you are really bothered by bushes with large thorns (black locust trees, I think) that force you to move closer to the middle of the road. Cutting them down or having them cut down would not be a bad idea
The path belongs to everyone, but crossing paths with mountain bikers travelling in the opposite direction can sometimes be a problem, especially on muddy paths. You have to stay alert.
.

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Ricola

23 Nov 2020 at 09:19 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

A very beautiful route with quite a challenging elevation gain.

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andredomy

15 Nov 2020 at 16:12 3600

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The first part of the route, through the woods, was very pleasant. Then the walk along the towpath beside the Sambre seemed a little long and monotonous. Finally, the third part was through the forest, but with all the uphill walking concentrated in this short section, and then the last part was along a fairly busy road (dangerous!) with little of interest.
Fortunately, the weather was pleasant for the season.

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Sherpadolf

07 Nov 2020 at 23:33 3600

Thank you for clarifying the street name. I often pass by there but never noticed its name. I found "Rue de Gilberoux" by looking on Google Maps. I will see if I can change it in the description.

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fzutterman

07 Nov 2020 at 15:06 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Quite a nice route, except for the road section at the end. Some inaccuracies in the description. As for the starting point, we couldn't find "Rue de Gilberoux" either on our GPS or on site. The path where you start is located at the crossroads of Chemin de la Rongie and Rue de Taravisée. At point (1), we didn't see any GR markers on the right, but it's the first authorised path on the right. Between (1) and (4), the details of the description are a little confusing and superfluous: you just need to keep going straight ahead, and almost all the side paths are closed off anyway. The road between (11) and (S/E) seemed very dangerous to us, especially in the fading evening light: lots of cars, driving very fast! We preferred an alternative route, which was slightly longer but much quieter. At point (11), go straight ahead to take the dirt track that crosses a field with wind turbines and, at the end, turn right onto the small tarmac road that leads back to the starting point.

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