Braine-le-Château walks

A circular walk in and around the lovely little Ermitage nature reserve (managed by Natagora), a haven of nature and tranquillity between Braine-le-Château and Ittre. The walk features several information boards.

A beautiful little hike, mainly on trails interspersed with a few short stretches on quiet roads, offering beautiful panoramic views and some magnificent trees. You may be lucky enough to spot a deer or two, a fox or a badger as you pass through one of the shady corners of the walk. Take the time to soak up the serenity of the undergrowth and stop at the foot of the remarkable trees.

This walk is an extension of walk no. 82622036 (no. 357) "On the heights of Braine-le-Château". It extends from 5.5 km to 11.5 km and takes you through part of the Bois de Hal to admire the carpets of flowers, including blue hyacinths in spring.

Starting from the pleasant little square in Ittre, a small path quickly leads to unusual places so close to the town. Then there are vast landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see, followed by a pleasant walk through the Bois du Chapitre forest as you continue on your way. This is how this circular route is constructed, with a few streets here and there connecting the paths that take precedence here. And, as the icing on the cake, you pass by the Brussels-Charleroi Canal, discover lock no. 5 and the Ittre marina, and, before setting off again, stroll through the narrow streets of Ittre.

In the heart of Walloon Brabant, Ittre reveals a landscape of deep forests and secret valleys. The Bois des Frères, Bois du Bailli and Bois du Chapitre offer a refuge for wildlife. Le Bilot and La Baraque l'Hermitage combine ancient stones and peaceful clearings.Around Braine-le-Château, the heritage tells the story: medieval castle, Ferme Sainte-Croix and villages with evocative names such as Derrière les Monts or Le Cheval Blanc. Local legends still tell of white horses crossing the woods at dusk.The paths wind between hills and meadows, on sandy and clay soils. Heather, holly and oak trees make up a typical Brabant landscape. Mixed forests, wet meadows, orchids, ferns, deer and rare birds punctuate the walk. Between nature, history and legends, Ittre invites you to immerse yourself peacefully in the memory of the woods.

Over hill and dale, through meadows and woodland, along country lanes, towpaths and a few streets – all linking up to form the backbone of this walk. The first section allows you to discover the natural surroundings so close to Ittre; just a few steps uphill take you to the Brussels–Charleroi Canal at lock no. 5. You then walk alongside Ittre’s marina and continue along the towpath. A semi-urban stretch takes you back into the countryside, where the path zigzags until it leads you to the Golf de la Tournette. The final stretch follows the Ry Ternel back to the centre of Ittre.

A circular route almost entirely through the countryside, starting from the centre of Ittre and ending at the Château de la Tournette golf course. Along the way, the Ravel cycle path runs alongside the Ri Ternel river, taking in the sweeping agricultural landscapes on the heights of Haut-Ittre – with, among other things, its beautiful hedgerows allowing nature to flourish – and crossing the golf course, all in an atmosphere of calm and serenity.

The Bois de Hal is particularly renowned for its carpets of hyacinths.Walking along its paths in another season and combining the forest with the surrounding countryside is the essence of this walk.

A splendid walk in the Bois de Hal, famous for its carpets of wild hyacinths in April, but let’s not forget the anemones that bloom a little earlier. This circular walk of around 6 km follows the paths and trails of the "Reebokwandeling" and the "hyacintenwandeling", two signposted walks featured on the official Bois de Halle website (see practical information).

On this easy walk, which is mainly on hard-surfaced paths, you will discover a fine feat of engineering, one of many in the region, symbolising both the economic vitality of this area and human ingenuity in overcoming natural obstacles.

Starting from the heights of Ittre, a short footpath followed by a stretch of road leads to the first panoramic view, stretching all the way to the tower of the Ronquières inclined plane on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal. Your journey will take you as far as this canal, taking in a succession of other panoramic views, each as beautiful as the last, before descending to join the Ravel cycle route along the water’s edge. The climb back up takes you through the fields, always with the Ronquières Tower in view. After bidding it farewell, there’s a short break on the plateau and another panoramic view of the route you took on the way there, before you descend into the Ri de Fauquez valley, from where you climb back up to rejoin the original route. The icing on the cake is that you might just be greeted by a llama in a meadow...

The Bois de Hal is renowned for the magnificent carpets of hyacinths that decorate the undergrowth in spring, usually from mid-April to early May.The hyacinths are preceded by anemones and followed in some places by wild garlic.With a little luck and, above all, a lot of patience, you may be able to spot a deer or two grazing or frolicking a little further away, in the undergrowth away from the paths.

Starting from the Dworp football pitch, the walk follows the green belt to the south of the Dworp conurbation, joining the picturesque path that runs alongside the Chapitre stream (Kapittelbeek) and finally enters the Bois de Hal proper.From one tree-lined avenue to the next, the route passes through magnificent chestnut and beech woods before emerging into the countryside around Braine-l’Alleud.After the historic boundary marker of the Sonian Forest, dating from the 16th century, the route changes direction towards the Sept Fontaines ponds, running alongside the golf course of the same name. The former Abbey of Sept Fontaines and its farm are now, unfortunately, part of a private estate and are virtually invisible from the public paths.

Welcome to Lembeek, where nature and history intertwine at every turn. The Kasteelpark, the former castle grounds, offers a romantic19th-century atmosphere. Nearby, the Malakoff Tower (1854), built as a folly, served as a viewpoint over the valley. The Zenne and its tributaries (Vijverbeek, Maasdalbeek, Mollebeek) shape a wetland landscape that was once ideal for mills. It is a varied walk through water, woods, history and legends.

Starting from the Seven Fountains Ponds, this circular walk takes you through a variety of landscapes: ponds, rivers, woods, meadows and fields, spread out on either side of the linguistic border – a border of language, but not a border in nature. How many times during the walk do you find yourself wondering: “Which Brabant am I in? Flemish Brabant or Walloon Brabant?”