From Villers-en-Fagne to Matagne-la-Grande and Fagnolle via the RAVEL

Starting point: the centre of Villers-en-Fagne, at the junction of Rue de l’Église and Rue de Matagne. Plenty of parking available at the foot of the church.

(S/E) Head north along the road towards Merlemont and Sart-en-Fagne. Cross Rue du Centre on the right-hand side and turn right. Cross Rue des Grillons on the left-hand side and follow Route du Grand Ry downhill.

(1) Cross over the Grand-Ri stream before heading straight up the hill (leave the road to the right towards Sart-en-Fagne).

(2) Shortly after the top of the hill and before a left-hand bend in the road, take a path on the right. After about a hundred metres, turn right. This path becomes a small road (in poor condition) and passes through a housing estate with a few chalets. Pass two paths on your left before coming out onto the Villers-en-Fagne–Sart-en-Fagne road.

(3) Turn left, then immediately right to follow a wide track that runs alongside meadows.

(4) After about 400 m, the path enters the forest, crossing the Grand Ri stream near the Villers-en-Fagne hunting grounds (hunters’ huts).

(5) Continue straight on along this path, which narrows and crosses a small stream (fording). The section that follows is somewhat tricky as the path is not very well marked. Keep going in the same direction; the path soon becomes more clearly defined before widening out again.

(6) You’ll come to a tarmac forest road; follow it to the right. After about 300 metres, ignore a path on your left and carry straight on along the tarmac road.

(7) The forest road passes behind the disused and dilapidated buildings of the former Matagne-la-Grande gunpowder magazine. Continue along this forest road until it joins a main road, ignoring a path coming from the left

(8) Turn left towards the village centre and you will soon reach the junction with the RAVEL.

(9) Take the RAVEL to the right and follow it for approximately 4.3 km, until it joins the Fagnolle-Roly road near a few houses, where you’ll meet the^GR®12.

(10) Follow this road to the right along the^GR®12(red-and-white markings). Ignore two paths running perpendicular to the road on the left and right at the entrance to the forest.

(11) Leave the road and take a wide path to the right through the forest, which follows the route of^{the GR®12}and an underground gas pipeline. After 1.5 km, the path crosses a bridge before emerging from the forest near the hamlet of Ingremez. Continue along this path, which soon becomes a tarmac road.

(12) Carry on straight ahead along the tarmac road (leaving the^GR®12, which heads off to the left towards Roly). The road descends at first, then levels out until you reach the village centre.

(13) At the Fork in the road, carry on straight ahead to return to the village centre and the church at Villers-en-Fagne (S/E).