Circular on the banks of the Vesdre starting from Nessonvaux

Starting point: Nessonvaux SNCB station.

Access by SNCB: line 37 Liège – Verviers – Aachen.
Access by TEC: line 31, Gare stop – line 188, Route d'Olne stop (130 m from the car park via Rue de la Croix-Rouge).
For motorists: car park along Rue de la Gare.

(S/E) Follow the yellow and red GRP® markings from the station car park and cross the railway tracks via the footbridge above them. At the bottom, turn left, climb up to a paved path and follow it to the right. After a wide left-hand bend, the path becomes narrow, rocky and enclosed, climbing between the edge of the forest and meadows. The path widens when you reach a house. At the end of Rue Pont-En-Vaux, you will come out onto a road.

(1) Cross the road (leaving the GRP®) and continue opposite along Rue de Trasenster. Just after houses^nos. 74 and 75, leave the asphalt and climb up a path on the right which becomes narrower as you ascend. At the first houses, the asphalt road takes over. Shortly afterwards, at the Y-junction, continue climbing up the left-hand street and then, at the T-junction that follows, turn left again. But just after house no. 86, turn right and follow a wide path to a road.

(2) Cross carefully to continue opposite, along the fence of a large private property, ignoring a wide concrete path on your left at the entrance to the trail. After 300 m of descent along the fence, on a path that has become grassy, turn right in front of the entrance to the Domaine de Colonheid. Go down the path, which becomes asphalted at a house. You will come out onto a road.

(3) Cross it and continue straight ahead, descending a narrow path between the meadows. After a few metres, at the T-junction, continue on the path on the left. At the Y-junction that follows, turn right, following the PL Losange Vert and GR® markings. The path will soon run alongside the Vesdre, which is below. At the end of the path, pass under the railway line and you will reach the N61.

(4) Leave the markings, cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing, then follow it to the left. Cross over the Vesdre river, leave Fraipont and, after about 50 metres, turn right onto Chemin des Réformés. At the Y-junction, follow the path to the right, along with a GRP® and the Tour d'Olne. The path follows the right bank of the Vesdre river for a short while before gradually moving away from it and running alongside a high brick wall.

(5) Before the end of the wall, with only the Tour d'Olne, make a sharp left turn to begin the climb up the hill on a narrow path. After about 100 metres of steep climbing with four hairpin bends, you will come to a road. Follow it downhill to the right until you reach a place called Au Bac.

(6) Leave the Tour d'Olne and climb to the left. After a few metres, climb a staircase of about ten steps on the right. Then make a very short first turn left then right and climb a second staircase with a metal handrail to start the ascent of the hill, then continue climbing on a dirt path with numerous hairpin bends to approach a small road.

(7) Please note : just before reaching this road, turn left to continue along a dirt track, following a fence. After a quarter turn to the right, the path begins to climb. Take another quarter turn to the right. As you continue, you will enjoy a sweeping view of the Vesdre valley on your right.
Shortly before the end of the fence, climb diagonally to the left, then cross a stile to enter a meadow. Cross the meadow, climbing straight ahead, more or less parallel to a high-voltage power line on the left. Pass between the bushes and cross several more meadows (sometimes with cows). At the top, head for the isolated half-timbered house on the right. Cross the last meadow diagonally to the right towards the left corner of the house and leave the meadow by crossing a fence to reach a road.

(8) Follow the road to the right for about 130 m, then turn left onto Chemin de la Chapelle. Pass in front of the old chapel, which has been converted into a cultural centre. At the end of the asphalt road, follow the grassy path between meadows and fields until you reach a road.

(9) Follow it to the left. After 270 m, leave it and turn right onto a wide dirt track between fields and meadows. At the end of the track, turn left to cross the first meadow, following the fence on your right. Go through two closely spaced wooden barriers, then climb up into the second meadow, this time staying along the fence on your left. Please note: during the climb, leave this meadow on the left by crossing a stile (sign indicating that you are entering a private area where picnics and dogs off the leash are prohibited), then continue climbing along the fence on the right. At the end of this meadow, pass on the right between thorny bushes, then cross a second stile. Then climb between the fence on the left and a hedge of shrubs on the right. Leave these last meadows by crossing a wooden chicane and continue straight on to a road (cross with Christ).

(10) Follow it to the left. At a place called Forêt-Village, leave the asphalt road by turning right. Follow the dirt track between fences, following the GRP® and Promenade n°7 markings, towards the church in Forêt. You will come out onto a large esplanade opposite the church. Leave the markings and turn right onto a wide country lane. Follow it for 500 m, passing by the Forêt Fun nature activity area.

(11) After about 170 m, leave the wide path and turn right onto a narrow path between fences, which becomes a track as it enters the woods. At the Y-junction, go up to the right and at the next Y-junction, go right again. The path curves to the left and begins to descend, winding through the woods (sign with the Olne legends). Be careful! Along a meadow, near some large rocks, leave this wide path and take a narrower one on the right, coming out of the woods at the foot of the Saint-Hadelin Chapel (on the left, a tree with nails).

(12) Go up the asphalt road, following Promenade No. 9. At the crossroads, go down to the left onto a very rocky path. At the next crossroads, continue down the path following the PL9 Losange Rouge. The first part of this path is a stream bed. It then continues along a grassy path and then a paved path in Rivagne. When you reach the asphalt road, do not follow it, but climb up to the right onto a wide stone path, following the GR® and PL9 Losange Rouge signs. After three steps, the path becomes a narrow trail that leads to a road.

(13) Go down it on the left. Pass Chemin du Rouau and you will find the GR® and GRP® markings again. Shortly after the place called Rouau, leave the road and go up Voie Pirson on the right. After a few metres, ignore all the markings that go off to the left and continue climbing on the asphalt. At the end of Voie Pirson, cross a road and continue straight ahead on the grassy path reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, which eventually leads to a wide gravel road.

(14) Follow it to the left, again with the GR® and GRP® trails, until you reach a crossroads (bench). Turn aquarter turn to the left, leaving the markings again to continue along a wide gravel road for 150 m.

(15) Leave the gravel path and turn right into a meadow, crossing a gate. Walk along the fence on your right. Cross several meadows in a straight line, crossing several gates, and leave the last one via a turnstile to the left of the restored farm. Follow the path to the asphalt T-junction. Turn right. At the exit of Martinmont, at the crossroads, continue straight on Chemin de la Justice until you reach Pré des Paul.

(16) As the road curves to the left, continue straight ahead on the road, then along a dead-end path, Pré des Paul, following the green diamond sign. After 700 m, you will come to the asphalt road. Beyond a right-hand bend, you will reach the Ri de Rode lane, where you will find the GR® and GRP® markings. Turn left into this lane but, when you reach house number 1, turn left. After 40 metres, make a quarter turn to the right to pass under a stone archway leading to a garden. Cross it, climb the steps, then walk along the left side of the community centre library to reach the main street of Olne (N604).

(17) Leaving the GR® and GRP® markings, cross over to pass under the porch opposite and enter an alleyway, following the red and blue rectangle markings. At the end of Ruelle de l'Arvô, go down to the right and pass by Château Chrouet. At the end of Rue des Combattants, continue straight ahead on the main road, but after 20 m, leave it by turning left into Ruelle des Escaliers, following the red rectangle sign. Follow the asphalt road for 600 m.

(18) At the end of the asphalt road, turn right downhill, following Promenade No. 3. The descent begins with a staircase of about a hundred steps, then continues on a dirt path and ends on asphalt after a final series of steps. Continue straight ahead, along a stream. At the exit of Petit Vaux, continue straight ahead and then, at the Y-junction, take the left-hand path, following the blue diamond and yellow rectangle signs, until you reach the confluence of two streams. Cross a footbridge and you will come out on Rue Tonvoie.

(19) Turn right, then left and follow the main road for a good hundred metres. Just after crossing over the stream, cross with great care to follow the path along the stream, following the yellow rectangle sign. Cross over the stream again and continue, gradually moving away from it until you reach Moulin Lochet. Continue on the asphalt road. At the crossroads, leave the yellow rectangle sign and turn right between houses^nos. 1 and 5. Immediately turn left to climb a few steps between two houses, then go through a metal chicane (information panel on La Vallée des Moulins). Follow the gravel path as it begins to climb. At the top, go through a second metal gate and descend to the left on the asphalt road to the church.

(20) At the end of Chinehotte, at the crossroads, continue straight on along Rue Saint-Pierre, passing in front of the old town hall, with the purple cross sign. Come out onto the main road, cross it carefully, then turn left, still following the purple cross sign, along a stream. After a few metres, cross it via a concrete footbridge, climb a few steps, then turn right and follow the path behind the houses, almost parallel to the main road, until you reach Rue du Ruisseau.

(21) Continue straight on along Rue Sur-la-Statte, but leave it at house number 115 to go down to the right along Promenade n°6 and a GR®. Cross a footbridge, then turn right to come out onto a main road. Follow it to the left, cross over the Vesdre and, just after the bridge, turn left. At the T-junction, turn right, then left into Rue des Armuriers. At the end of this street, you will come out onto the main road. Cross it at the pedestrian crossing and continue opposite, towards Trasenster, along Rue de la Croix-Rouge, which will take you back to the car park at Nessonvaux station (S/E).

Note: as I am unable to correct certain details of this walk, please note that it does not take place in the Condroz but in the Pays de Herve (more precisely in the Vesdre valley)!

Throughout the description, you will see "PL" followed by a geometric shape and a colour, such as " PL Blue Rectangle ". This is the marking for the Blue Rectangle Local Promenade.
You may also see "SGR" or "GR®" or "GRP®" followed by the colours white/red or yellow/red. These are the markings for the Sentiers de Grande Randonnée (long-distance hiking trails) network.