From the Vieille Hage farm, Tintigny to Chassepierre

(S) Leave the farm on the left via the tarmac road heading uphill. Turn right (Rue Jean-Louis Orban), and at the four-way crossroads, turn left towards Neufchâteau. Head for Bellefontaine and continue to junction no. 57.

(1) Continue left onto the N895, towards Gérouville. Follow the signposted cycle route, heading for junction no. 46. Cycle for about 1 km until you reach a three-way junction.

(2) Take the lovely dedicated cycle path on the right (Rue de Rawez) and continue straight on until you reach the edge of the forest at junction no. 45.

(3) Head down the track opposite, into the forest, towards junction no. 62. Cross the railway line, then first turn left then right at the next two junctions and carry on straight ahead until you reach a road. Turn right for 200 m, then, at the next fork, take a sharp left-hand bend towards Orval Abbey.

(3) At junction 62, continue downhill along the road to the abbey.

(4) After your visit, set off again along the road at the bottom of the valley. At the crossroads, turn right towards Florenville and, 20 metres further on, take the path on the left, down below, which runs alongside the Williers or Palle stream. Continue for about 2 km until you reach a footbridge over the stream.

(5) The footbridge and the boardwalk leading to it are suitable for cycling. Cycle up to the other bank, though you will almost certainly need to push, or even carry, your bike. Once you reach the platform, continue along the path to the right, choosing the widest track which climbs into the woods to join a smoother track. Turn right towards Williers.

(6) At the end of the track, turn right onto the road and ride down to the four-way junction. Take the road opposite, which climbs steadily through the woods, towards junction no. 99. Enter Florenvile and, at the roundabout, take the^second exit (Rue de la Poste) and continue to the end of the street.

(7) Turn left onto the main street to reach a junction at Place Reine Astrid, at junction 99. Turn right, then immediately left onto Rue des Épérires towards junction 98 and continue to the foot of the water tower.

(8) Turn right onto Rue de la Concille, then continue along the track. Carry on straight ahead until you reach a road. Follow it to the right and you’ll come to a junction at junction no. 23.

(9) Turn left towards Laiche and carry on straight on until you reach the village. At the junction with a central reservation, turn right towards Azy-les-Epioux and do the same at the next junction. You’ll reach the bridge over the Semois at junction 20.

(10) Cross the Semois and continue to the right as you leave the bridge. You’ll reach the next junction at junction no. 12.

(11) Take a sharp left-hand bend and arrive at the village of Chassepierre, at junction no. 13 (E).

The route follows cycle-friendly roads, smooth tracks and cycle paths. In Belgium, these routes are marked by a system of “nodes” (junctions) spaced less than 2 km apart. These routes appear in pink on the “OpenStreetMap Cycling (World)” base map. The green arrows fixed along the route, at cycle height, indicate the number of the next node.

(4) Visit the ruins of the old abbey, the museum, temporary exhibitions, the shop, etc. – open from 9.30 am.

(7) In Florenville, there are two cash machines on Place Albert^1er: at numbers 25 and 18.

(E) Motor traffic is not permitted in the village of Chassepierre during the festival, starting on Friday. The route takes a slight detour to end at the Green car park, behind the ‘Prairie’ area where many performances take place. To get there more quickly, head for the Mauve car park by following the River Semois from Laiche. The official campsite is located in the Blue car park near Sainte Cécile. You’ll therefore need to adjust your route to camp there (or arrive early enough to cycle through the village). At the festival campsite, you can enjoy an organic meal prepared by local farmers and settle in for the^first show in the early afternoon.

(E) There are several accommodation options.

(4) Visit the ruins of the old abbey.

(11) A beautiful view of the village of Chassepierre, nestled at the far end of the circular Semois loop, from its right bank.