Circular three-village route south of Beaufays

A walk marked with a Green Diamond, located south of Beaufays. It is a sure sign of the Ardennes, particularly when passing the summit of the "Côtes des Forges", well known to fans of the "Liège-Bastogne-Liège" race. Throughout, greenery dominates: hills, sunken lanes and local hamlets. At every turn, we brush past the hustle and bustle of civilisation, but the contrast with the calm of nature allows us to relax thoroughly.

Details

3127169
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.22 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 168 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 171 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 306 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 212 m

Description of the walk

Park at La Croix-Michel in the small car park on the side of the N62, on the right as you come from Beaufays.

:/A Cross the road carefully and head straight into the Croix-Michel housing estate. Immediately take the path on your right which leads further into a wood.

(1) At the junction, turn right and continue to the N62.

(2) You are at the summit of the legendary Côte des Forges, used by cyclists during the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race. Take care when crossing the main road as there is no pedestrian crossing. Take Rue de la Drève, which is opposite and slightly to the right, to arrive opposite Gomzé-Andoumont Castle.

(3) Continue to the right to reach the pond, where you can spot some beautiful birds resting between flights.

(4) At the corner of the pond, turn left. A little further on, you’ll enjoy an even more beautiful view of the rear of the château. Head straight on, cross a wood to reach the junction with Rue de Ferreuse.

(5) Turn right, ignoring the path branching off to the right. Shortly afterwards, veer right at the fork to reach Rue de Stinval, which you follow to the right, leaving the road leading to Blindef on your left. About a hundred metres before Rue de Sendrogne, leave the road and follow the local track to the right, which rejoins it further on after a left-hand bend.

(6) Turn right to follow the road. Cross the bridge over the motorway and continue straight on until you reach the junction with the N30 at Hornay.

(7) Turn right and follow this road carefully for about 400 m.

(8) Turn right and continue in the same direction. Cross the Allée des Bouleaux then turn left to join the N674.

(9) Cross with care, then turn right. Caution! This is the most hazardous part of the walk, where for 600 m you’ll be walking alongside a main road where cars travel quite fast. Please walk on the hard shoulder and in single file if you’re in a group. Go under the motorway and walk for about 300 m.

(10) Turn left at a 180° angle onto a grassy path that joins a tarmac road. Turn right and head straight on to the Croix Michel, where the car park is located (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 300 m - Croix Michel
  2. 1 : km 1.01 - alt. 298 m - Crossroads, on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.68 - alt. 277 m - The Côte des Forges
  4. 3 : km 2.28 - alt. 220 m - Gomzé Castle
  5. 4 : km 2.51 - alt. 215 m - Pond
  6. 5 : km 3.66 - alt. 262 m - Rue de Ferreuse, on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.31 - alt. 254 m - Rue de Sendrogne, on the right
  8. 7 : km 6.98 - alt. 282 m - Hornay - N30, on the right
  9. 8 : km 7.37 - alt. 268 m - Turn right
  10. 9 : km 9.54 - alt. 238 m - Please note
  11. 10 : km 10.14 - alt. 264 m - N674
  12. S/E : km 11.22 - alt. 300 m - Croix Michel

Notes

A good pair of trainers in dry weather is sufficient, and a small water bottle is advisable as a precaution.

(4) Alternative route: please note that it is possible to take a significant shortcut if necessary due to the weather or for any other reason. Continue straight ahead and you will rejoin the route at Allée des Bouleaux, before (9). You will then need to turn right to complete the route.

A detailed map and descriptions of the walking routes are available at the Chaudfontaine and Sprimont Tourist Office, the Town Hall, the Stone Museum and in bookshops in Sprimont.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
3.4 / 5
Louis Lempereur
Louis Lempereur

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We were looking for a short walk near Embourg. We only did the northern circular walk – 5 km. We came across some lovely scenery, a castle, and more. An interesting walk just a stone’s throw from Liège.

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japau
japau

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
As I know the area a little, I was aware that we would be walking on roads for much of the route (which was mentioned as a downside). We had no problems following the Green Diamond markings. We cut the walk short because the clouds looked threatening. Thank you for mapping out this route.

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Vinnie2pens
Vinnie2pens

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

A bit too much traffic on or near roads and close to houses

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rachelle
rachelle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
The first part of the route was excellent in every respect, with varied scenery and interesting paths to follow... unfortunately, we were disappointed by the sections along the roads with dangerous traffic, even though we knew this was the downside of the route.
The green markings were clearly visible and made it easy to follow the route; there was just one missing sign towards the end (at a T-junction) where we needed to turn left to continue along the path and go under the motorway.
Thank you for this lovely experience.

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bobette58
bobette58

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The scenery along the route was very patchy... For us, there were far too many roads (we could have done the whole thing by bike) and far too many housing estates. The section under the motorway towards the end was quite dangerous, with cars driving very fast and no signposting, or at least none that was visible. Luckily, we were able to follow the directions, which were very clear...

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