Countryside and castles around Écaussinnes

This is an easy walk, about an hour's drive from Brussels. You will discover the two castles of Écaussinnes as you walk through the forest, along country roads and paths with the Ronquières Tower as a landmark.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.99 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 171 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 175 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 161 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 72 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available on the Marouset road in Braine-le-Comte towards Nivelles at the junction with Virginal, opposite a café-bar.

(S) With your back to the car park, cross the Marouset road (be careful!) towards the path that starts just below the sign for Nivelles/Braine-le-Comte.

(1) Follow the old tramway.

(2) When the old tram track curves, continue straight ahead on Sentier des Aulnes.

(3) At the next intersection, turn left onto Sentier du Vivier des Loges and follow it uphill. Cross the road and continue. Then turn right onto the forest path.

(4) Further on, take the Sentier du Point du Jour on your right until you are halfway down the hill.

(5) At the end of the embankment, on your left, take the path going uphill (GR®crossapparentlymissing but to be confirmed). Walk along the old sandpit, which has been recolonised by birch trees. The path winds through ferns or false heather, depending on the season and location. Continue to follow the path. When it begins to descend, keep to the ridge path that branches off to the left between the large tree trunks, which has been heavily marked by mountain bikes. Continue along this path, ignoring all the paths on the right until you have no choice but to descend.

(6) You will come to a wide path which you follow uphill, following the red diamond markings. At the fork a little further on, take the path on the left. The markings are not very visible.

(7) Take the Sentier du Bonhomme de Fer on your right, still following the red diamond markings.

(8) Climb a few steps and at Bonhomme de Fer, you will find explanations about the geodesic marker and some information about the Bois de la Houssière. Ignore the markings and head towards the steps towards Mons and descend to the road. Turn right to take the farm track slightly lower down on the left (Rue du Cochant). At the end, turn right and go up the paved road. At the crossroads, turn left, taking care as this road is busier than the previous ones. At the crossroads, turn right. Go under the bridge.

(9) Leave the road and take the Drêve. A turnstile allows you to pass if the barriers are closed. Head straight towards the entrance to the Château de la Follie. Turn right towards the church. At the crossroads in front of the church, turn left. Go down Rue du Pont.

(10) After the bend, you will see the Moulin Brulé in front of you. Continue to the left of the mill, cross the bridge over the Senette and take thesecond street on the right, Rue des Brasseurs. At the end of this street, you will arrive at Place des Comtes Van Der Burch with a view of the castle and part of the bridge with twelve arches. Turn right towards the Grand Place. Head towards the town hall behind the bandstand and go up to the right of the town hall, Rue de la Marlière. Take a look at the statue in the park: it looks a bit like Jean Marais. Continue uphill.

(11) Turn left at the pedestrian crossing further up and take the Val de Senette, which will take you to the twelve arches. At the end of this path, turn left and then left again. There is a chapel here, as well as the entrance to the castle farm. If you wish to visit the castle, go down the cobbled steps. You will then need to retrace your steps and take the path running alongside the farm wall. Pass the replica of the Grotto of Lourdes. Continue straight ahead and ignore the roads on your left. Also ignore the road on your right and go straight ahead. At the fork, turn right.

(12) Before turning left into the dead-end Rue des Robinettes, you will see the Church of Sainte-Aldegonde a little further up the street if you wish to visit it. Take Rue des Robinettes, which turns into a path after a few metres. Walk along the back of the Château de la Follie park. Continue along the path, which is now enclosed between two low walls. Go through the Tunnel des Amoureux. On your left is the castle mill. At the end of this path, you will see a chapel in the shape of a keyhole dedicated to Saint Ghislain.

(13) Turn left. At the junction with the road, turn right, taking care as the road is very busy. Further down, follow the path on the left at No. 4, before the bridge over the Senette. At the end of this paved path, turn left. Go under the bridge and turn right until you reach the small chapel.

(14) Take the farm track in front of the chapel. Although it is marked as a private road, it is a communal road. I have never found the gates closed, let alone a bull roaming free. If the gates are closed, go through and close them behind you. If you are unsure, turn around and take the Rue de la Dîme road, turn right at the crossroads onto Rue de la Follie and then right again at the next crossroads onto Rue d'Henripont, continuing along the farm track until you reach the tarmac road. Turn right and follow the road as it winds its way through the village. Another road joins it; keep right and continue towards the village. Follow the winding road. Another road joins it; continue right towards the village. Turn left onto the farm track Sentier du Castia. The track becomes a path and runs alongside a cultivated field on one side and a meadow on the other. Go up to the paved road, cross it and take the forest track opposite, Chemin à Rotons. Continue along this path to rejoin the Sentier du Vivier des Loges on your left. Retrace your steps back to the start. Cross the main road with caution beforereturning to the car park (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 127 m - Parking
  2. 1 : km 0.06 - alt. 122 m - Direction sign
  3. 2 : km 0.34 - alt. 135 m - Sentier des Aulnes
  4. 3 : km 0.46 - alt. 124 m - Sentier du Vivier des loges
  5. 4 : km 1.27 - alt. 154 m - Point du Jour trail
  6. 5 : km 1.38 - alt. 149 m - At the end of the embankment, take the path on the left marked GR
  7. 6 : km 2.3 - alt. 135 m - Wide path, Losange Rouge
  8. 7 : km 2.69 - alt. 152 m - Bonhomme de Fer trail
  9. 8 : km 3.3 - alt. 151 m - Geodetic marker
  10. 9 : km 5.5 - alt. 95 m - Drêve
  11. 10 : km 6.22 - alt. 86 m - Moulin Brulé
  12. 11 : km 6.78 - alt. 100 m - Chemin des douze Arcades
  13. 12 : km 7.71 - alt. 95 m - Dead-end road
  14. 13 : km 8.2 - alt. 92 m - Keyhole chapel
  15. 14 : km 9.61 - alt. 76 m - Small chapel
  16. S/E : km 13.99 - alt. 128 m - Parking

Notes

A large percentage of the route is on country roads.
The walk is not possible on Pentecost weekend because Écaussinnes is celebrating its "Goûter Matrimonial" (marriage reception), and access to the town centre is subject to a charge!
Refreshments are available at the start/finish car park and in the centre of Écaussinnes.
Benches are available at (10) and in the park behind the town hall.
The car park is very busy on Sunday mornings, but we will be going to the least frequented part of the woods.

Worth a visit

During
Bois de la Houssière with its holly trees, from which it takes its name. More visible in winter or early spring.

(8) Le Bonhomme de Fer: a geodetic marker with an information panel.

(9) The Château de la Follie: not open to visitors except for certain parts during "Écaussinnes, cité d'Art" in September or for groups. Information
Follie with two L's because it comes from the word feuille/feuillée (leaf/leafy) and not folie/maboule (madness/crazy)!

Saint-Rémy Church: struck by lightning in the 18th century, it was rebuilt in the 19th century. Information

(10) Moulin Brulé: communal mill, information panel at the rear of the building. External mechanism still in place.

Statue in the park next to the town hall. Controversial statue as it was found in the blue stone quarry of Scoufflény after the Germans left at the end of theSecond World War. A German soldier who was teaching fine arts sculpted this statue. However, the proportions are not perfect and a "carrot" was left between the chin and the bust. Instead of being destroyed, it was saved and restored by artists from Écaussinnes.

The Twelve Arches: this 121.77-metre-long and 14.96-metre-high bridge, consisting of 12 arches (renamed "douces arcades" in 1903 by Marcel Tricot, founder of the Goûter Matrimonial), was built in 1916 at the request of the SNCV, which planned to run a tram line across it. When this project was abandoned, the Scoufflény quarry (a blue stone quarry) bought the structure in order to use it to connect to the Écaussinnes-Carrière station and transport the stones extracted from the quarry (in 1927). The line was dismantled in 1962.

The fortified castle of Écaussinnes: open to visitors. Information

The Church of Sainte-Aldegonde: tombstone of the sister of the famous painter Rubens (1606). As a young boy, he was a page to his sister in Écaussinnes.

The Tunnel des Amoureux: replaced a path that crossed the outbuildings of the Château de la Follie.

Le Castia: a mound in the middle of a meadow with building remains and trees.

The old sand pits and their information panel.

Nearby
Ronquières Inclined Plane.
Nivelles Collegiate Church.
The Canal du Centre and its old boat lifts.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 53 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
ydevoghel
ydevoghel

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this walk. We actually wanted to take part in an Adeps walk in Ronquière. However, due to the popularity of this event (the weather was beautiful and it was the only walk near Brussels), we decided to go on a Visorando walk instead. What a delight!
We shortened the walk by not going through the village of Ecaussines (we already knew the castles) so as not to exceed 10 km.
So most of our walk was on trails or paths.
The highlights were the ridge trail along the edge of the old sandpit, the nice view from the Bonhomme de Fer, the Sennette valley and the Castia trail in Henripont.

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bernardbienfait
bernardbienfait

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

knowing part of the walk in the woods, we followed the route description from a distance.
discovering Ecaussine was interesting. At the end of Ecaussine, the walk continues through fields, offering a good view of the Sennette valley. All in all, a nice walk, even if there was a bit of road.

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catbalou
catbalou

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The start is pleasant, but very quickly there is too much tarmac and the section through the town to see the castle is not great. If you have a problem with tarmac, give this one a miss!

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Hello Catbalou,
When reading the introduction to the hike and looking at the map, you would have noticed the percentage of country roads...
I didn't hide the fact that there would be some tarmac...
And I would even say that passing through a village is logical...

Best regards

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catbalou
catbalou

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The start is pleasant, but very quickly there is too much tarmac and the section through the town to see the castle is not great. If you have a problem with tarmac, give this one a miss!

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Mantha
Mantha

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. I recommend it!

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Hello karde, you're right, it isn't marked. But if you could explain where exactly the description was problematic...

Thank you

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karde
karde

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

description not clear enough and nothing marked up

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ArinaTomberg
ArinaTomberg

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, quiet walk. Please note: there is construction work under the bridge at point 9. Normally, you cannot pass through there at the moment. It is best to take a short detour.

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candy59
candy59

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great walk combining greenery, tranquillity and beautiful landscapes.
The Tunnel des Amoureux and the wooded section are two fantastic parts of the walk.
A hike to be repeated...

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andlalnyg
andlalnyg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very pleasant walk, especially the wooded section.

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Paul Paul
Paul Paul

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. You have to be a little careful in the woods because I stumbled upon the large sandpit, but in the end I think it's even better than the original version. Then, you have to be careful not to miss the path along the smaller sandpit.
Overall, the route is very nice, varied and 9/10 well explained.

Many thanks!
Paul

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Simon.B
Simon.B

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 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.
We just veered off course at the beginning because the trail signs weren't clear. It's better to follow the map

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Clo2
Clo2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Belgium is a beautiful country, and Visorando allows us to discover it even more and, above all, even better.
What a magnificent trip this was, on this beautiful spring day. The very precise description, the discovery of new places and the carefully chosen route left us in awe. We followed the route to the letter, which is what makes it so interesting!
We'll definitely do it again and again, maybe once a season, as the scenery changes and the ride becomes even more beautiful.

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VDB7822
VDB7822

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. Beautiful landscapes. I recommend it.

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