Loops west of Bouillon along the Semois

This is a fairly long hike through the woods, with good paths and signposted trails. There are some nice climbs and numerous views of the Semois, the Ardennes forest and Bouillon.

Details

168896
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.56 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 638 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 638 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 389 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 214 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Belgium has a large number of hiking trails, all numbered. The numbers in brackets indicate the number of the marked trail. In some places, the same path is shared by several marked trails. The abbreviation "PV" in the description refers to "Point de Vue" (viewpoint)

Departure from Bouillon, after the tunnel, towards Corbion.

(S/E) On the road, follow the river called "la Semois" in the direction of the current. After a few metres, take the path on the bank and cross a campsite.

(1) At the end of the field, continue along the river, which bends to the right.

(2) To the left of the spur, take a steep winding path and climb up to Rocher du Pendu (PV). Continue on the flat towards Corbion (38).

(3) At the crossroads, continue towards Corbion (north-west). After a long walk along a balcony path, take a steep climb which, after crossing a horticulturalist's fields, leads to the road and a view of the village of Corbion.

(4) Take the path opposite, which passes behind the houses and leads to a road. Follow this road to the right, ignore the path on the right at the crossroads and turn left towards "Chaire à Prêcher". The path runs alongside the last houses, with beautiful views of the Semois valley and the forest on the right. 300m after entering the woods, leave the path descending to the left and head diagonally to the right (north-west, Chaire à Prêcher) towards the ridge on the horizon to reach the viewpoint. Panorama of Poupehan and the Semois.
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(5) Return to the starting point. At the crossroads, turn left (east) and follow the marked trail (60) towards Roche à Midi. Begin the descent (south-east) towards Poupehan, take a hairpin bend to the left, continue north and reach a crossroads.

(6) Take the path on the right towards the calvary (visible opposite the bridge). Begin the descent with short but tricky hairpin bends. Once on the road, turn right, pass in front of a cave and continue along the Semois (63) for several hundred metres.

(7) Leave the road and climb the path on the right (68). At the end of the climb, in Germauwé, take the second path on the right (south-east). Reach the large (dead) beech tree and follow the path downhill (68), following the curves of the terrain, to reach the picnic area.

(8) Opposite, follow the wide path, which you should leave very quickly for the little-used path with views.

(9) After 800 m, take the steep path on the right marked "PV Pénot", climb higher and turn left onto the path towards PV Saint-Augustin. Take a steep descent (north) to rejoin the path towards the PV de l'Epine.

(10) Make a return trip (500 m) to the Pic du Diable viewpoint.

(10) Take the first path on the left and descend to the Semois via the trail (37). Pass in front of the Moulin de l'Epine. Continue along the river (on the left, meadow and view of Cordemois Abbey).

(2) Pass under the Rocher du Pendu again and head for the campsite.

(1) Cross the campsite to the right, going uphill, and cut across if necessary to reach the campsite entrance on the road. Cross the road and go uphill opposite towards the monument to those who were shot.

(11) Continue left towards the Arboretum (12) along a balcony path.

(12) At the Arboretum sign, leave the path and continue along the trail on the left in the middle of the site. At the exit, descend via the road or the barely visible path on the left.

(13) After the large house (lodge) on the left, take the path that climbs up to the Ramonette viewpoint. From the wooden building, there is a magnificent view of Bouillon and the castle. Continue along the ridge (10) down steep switchbacks and rejoin the road 150 m upstream from the starting point.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 222 m - Bouillon - Semoy (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.68 - alt. 214 m - End of the campsite
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 225 m - The trail starts on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.38 - alt. 337 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 4.84 - alt. 387 m - Rue du Boulet
  6. 5 : km 6.48 - alt. 323 m - Preacher's pulpit - Viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 7.72 - alt. 251 m - Calvary crossroads
  8. 7 : km 8.65 - alt. 257 m - Crossroads towards Germauwé
  9. 8 : km 11.62 - alt. 355 m - Picnic area
  10. 9 : km 12.47 - alt. 326 m - Crossroads towards L'Epine
  11. 10 : km 13.15 - alt. 277 m - Crossroads near the Pic du Diable viewpoint
  12. 11 : km 16.08 - alt. 292 m - Monument to the Fusillés
  13. 12 : km 17 - alt. 334 m - Arboretum
  14. 13 : km 17.72 - alt. 285 m - La Ramonette
  15. S/E : km 18.56 - alt. 222 m - Bouillon

Notes

At point (6), there are picnic tables and barbecues.
Water available at the campsite before (1).
You can also eat in Corbion or do some shopping if necessary in Poupehan after crossing the bridge over the Semois (6).

Worth a visit

There are too many viewpoints to mention individually, but you will appreciate them as you go along.
Of particular note are the large Vancouver fir trees planted in 1900.
At the Chaire à Prêcher, legend has it that Pierre l'Emite harangued the crowds to take part in Godfrey of Bouillon's crusade.
Visit Bouillon and its castle

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Ka&Jé
Ka&Jé
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this tour in beautiful weather. Thanks to the GPS, it was easy to follow. There are a few climbs, but they are generally easy to navigate. We were unable to access and complete points 11/12/13 because there is construction underway (apparently a holiday home), so we retraced our steps to return to the starting point. We completed the entire circuit in six hours at a leisurely pace, with a 30-minute stop for lunch. The views of the valley are beautiful. Thank you for this route

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Gerpinnes87
Gerpinnes87

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route was dangerous just after starting from point "6" when descending towards the Semois => it is better to take a detour along the path that heads west for 30 metres and then returns to the foot of the dangerous area.
Thanks for everything!

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Gersy 1975
Gersy 1975

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A nice walk without too much difficulty. I did it with my dachshund in 5½ hours.
One small hiccup: at around kilometre 10, the route map indicated that I was 114 metres off course.
Several beautiful viewpoints.

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Christelle1488
Christelle1488

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was quite cold and windy, but the sun was shining and there were only three drops of rain. We loved this hike. The views are simply superb, and the information boards are very informative. The trail is well marked, but even without the signs, it is easy to follow thanks to the various wooden signs along the route.

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ArinaTomberg
ArinaTomberg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a very beautiful walk with stunning scenery. It is not very difficult, but there are a few steep sections.
A very small section of the path is closed for works after point 4, but the diversion is very well signposted.

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Pascal Denis 51
Pascal Denis 51
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A truly beautiful hike along the Semois River with superb views and the beautiful Ardennes forest. I took a little detour to go down and see the Épine Bridge.
I had an unusual encounter with a mother wild boar and her five piglets in the forest before Corbion.

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Lang Michaël
Lang Michaël

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A treat with autumn colours, varied landscapes, along the water, in the woods, a few small waterfalls, some nice climbs, beautiful views. I extended the walk a little at the end by taking a small path that climbs up to the entrance of the castle and then descends on the other side

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Norbu
Norbu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, some magnificent views, very beautiful paths and woods... woods... woods.
To be repeated.

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Eric Gembloux
Eric Gembloux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very pleasant route, not really 'difficult', it can be done with a minimum of hiking experience. Beautiful scenery, little asphalt, a very enjoyable experience, definitely worth doing

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mrk.zjc
mrk.zjc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I loved this hike. The forests and views are beautiful, and a large part of the route runs along the Semois River. Although the last section (points 11–13) may seem a little uninteresting, it's worth persevering for the view at the end!

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Lilou_be
Lilou_be

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk around Bouillon, with exceptional views and quiet little paths where the dog could run around :-)
The walk wasn't very busy in the hills, but a little busier along the banks of the Semois.
A good way to get some exercise on a beautiful sunny winter's day

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fzutterman
fzutterman

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route. For those who are afraid of the "short but tricky hairpin bends" after 6, there is a very easy solution. Just before the Calvary, you can take a wide path on the left. After a big hairpin bend to the right, you will arrive at the bridge.

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Ngh87
Ngh87

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike.
very easy to follow thanks to the walking GPS.
The route is mainly in the woods.
Magnificent with the autumn colours.
The view of Bouillon at the end of the hike is splendid.
Highly recommended!

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ombrageux
ombrageux

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Thank you for sharing this beautiful walk taken under a bright sun.

There are a few inaccuracies in the description, particularly at point 2, where you need to turn left before the concrete bridge, not after it.

On the way back to the campsite, I couldn't find the path indicated, so I continued along the road.

The route also has a few imperfections at one point where it goes straight down when you need to make a detour.

At point 12, the path is blocked by a fire brigade ribbon indicating danger.

At point 13, towards the Ramonette viewpoint, the route is no longer clear.

Apart from these minor details, it's a very beautiful walk that's definitely worth doing

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argonien_5
argonien_5

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk, allowing you to discover several beautiful spots in the Bouillon region. The views of the Semois are very impressive, and the last viewpoint ("Ramonette") over Bouillon is breathtaking!

We completed the hike in 5 hours, with a few short breaks (including lunch).

The "giant's tomb" area was a little busier (easily explained: it was a sunny Sunday).

The only downsides:
- It's a shame there wasn't a little more information about the viewpoints/areas crossed (in the hike description) - of course, you can always find the information elsewhere.
- The GPS tracking of the walk was a bit chaotic (due to my mobile phone and/or the mobile app) – nothing to do with the walk itself

Thanks for sharing

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