From Dohan to the heights of Les Hayons

A walk through the Semois valley upstream from Bouillon. Lovely views of the Semois and the surrounding hills.

Details

4149318
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 216 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 211 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 394 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 234 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Starting point: Dohan Church

(S/E) From the church, head towards the nearby war memorial and turn right onto Rue des Champs Touaux. Stay on the tarmac path which runs some distance from the Semois until you reach a group of six bungalows in the circular bend of the river.

(1) Continue due north (leaving the tarmac) along a wide path that runs alongside the Semois to the hamlet of Le Poteau de Léveau.

(2) Keep heading in the same direction; the path passes through a spruce plantation before reaching the grassy riverbank. Keep an eye out for a path that branches off to the left and then takes a hairpin bend to climb up the hillside. ‘'N.B. The start of the path may be obscured by vegetation.''

(3) Walk 500 m up this path until you reach a junction at the bend in the track. Take the steep path on the right; the climb is steep for 300 m until you reach a well-marked track on the right. Ignore this track and continue in the same direction to the edge of the fields at Les Hayons.

(4) Walk along the edge of the fields, heading left (west), until you reach a track on the right. Follow this track to the N816 near Les Hayons.

(5) Turn left and head downhill to a wide track on the left, which you follow for 600 m until you reach a track on the right (long-distance hiking trail, marked in red and white).

(6) Turn right, then, at the next bend, head down to the left at the start of the small stream valley. Then climb up the hillside to reach the hamlet of Germone.

(7) Turn left, then head down to the right. The path crosses two wide tracks and then the N816 to reach Dohan Haut.

(8) Continue straight ahead, cross the Route du Saty (N865), turn straight ahead into Rue Dohan-Bas and follow this street to reach Chemin du Gué.

(9) Turn left to head back towards the church, passing the small wash house (located to the left of the N865) and in front of the castle. Arrive at the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 244 m - Dohan Church
  2. 1 : km 1.41 - alt. 252 m - Group of chalets. Walk along the - Semoy (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 2.61 - alt. 247 m - Léveau signpost
  4. 3 : km 3.07 - alt. 242 m - Path on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.28 - alt. 377 m - Edge of the fields
  6. 5 : km 5.41 - alt. 383 m - N 816 near Les Hayons
  7. 6 : km 6.3 - alt. 335 m - GR to the right
  8. 7 : km 6.75 - alt. 361 m - Germone
  9. 8 : km 7.59 - alt. 253 m - Dohan Haut
  10. 9 : km 8.03 - alt. 242 m - Chemin du Gué
  11. S/E : km 8.27 - alt. 243 m - Dohan Church

Notes

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

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

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very precise route map.

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Oli08
Oli08
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk with varied scenery, beautiful paths and grassy trails. Nothing spectacular, but a peaceful stroll. On this 1st of May, there are hundreds of walkers in Bouillon. Nothing like that here. And whilst there’s no lily of the valley, the broom is in bloom. Magnificent!

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Vincent Small
Vincent Small

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We couldn’t find the path leading off to the left, climbing between points 4 and 5. We took another path about 500 metres further on, just after a metal footbridge, which led uphill to the left, allowing us to reach the rock with the hole in it and rejoin the 4–5 section further up. The rest of the walk was well signposted; it’s a lovely, varied and easy walk.

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bozierbruno
bozierbruno

Good evening, Clémentfouarge
Thank you for taking the time to review this route.
I also really like this area, which isn’t too busy.
How lucky to be able to hike a route described by its author. Perhaps it’s not as rare as that. 😜
Happy hiking
Bozierbruno

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Clementfouarge
Clementfouarge

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk near the little village of Dohan, done with the author himself!
I enjoyed the first part, which was very pleasant as it runs alongside the Semois, and the lovely views this walk offers.

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Loïc Chab
Loïc Chab

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along the banks of the Semois; you don’t come across many people there

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