Dinant, martyred town, August 1914

Departure from Place Baudouin^Ier in Dinant, church car park.

(S/E) Cross the N95 on the pedestrian crossing. Cross the Meuse on the dams and the lock. On the other side of the river, cross the road. Take the path along the embankment and pass under the railway bridge. Turn right and follow the road for about 300 m.

(1) Before the houses, turn left onto a well-marked mountain bike trail, ignoring a trail descending to the right. Continue uphill, crossing the railway bridge. Follow the trail to the viaduct, ignore the trail on the left and continue straight ahead. Cross the depot.

(2) Take Rue du Pont Cajot, leaving the road that descends to the right under the railway. Continue along the street, which turns left and then right. Leave Impasse Matadi on your left and continue along Rue du Pont Cajot. Keep right at the crossroads, pass the "except local traffic" sign and continue downhill. About 50 metres from the railway, you will see a small path on the left marked "Chemin de Burinfosse".

(3) Continue to the monument behind the railway tracks.

(4) Turn around.

(3) Turn right onto the path that runs alongside the garage entrances. Then take Chemin de Burinfosse, passing a few houses before entering the woods.

(5) After a small concrete bridge, leave a path on your right. Continue along the path via some steps. At the house, the path becomes a track: the Leffe house and the new memorial below flank the track. At the next crossroads, keep to the right to reach the Pont Charles de Gaulle bridge, which you should not cross.

(6) Before the bridge, cross at the pedestrian crossing, look at the statue of the great Charles and continue along Avenue Colonel Cadoux to the dam at lock no. 4.

(7) Cross the Meuse via the passageway over the lock and dam. Turn left and walk for about 100 metres before crossing the road.

(8) Turn left and walk to the porch of an apartment building, a former spinning mill, where you will find a monument bearing the names of the civilians who were massacred.

(9) Retrace your steps back to the dam.

(8) Walk along the Meuse on your right until you reach the Athénée. Cross at the pedestrian crossing, continue to the right and pass in front of the former gendarmerie.

(10) Turn left onto Rue Benjamin Devigne, then left onto Rue Saint-Pierre. When you reach the square, walk past Saint-Georges Church and continue straight ahead onto Rue Gustave Poncelet. At Rue du Moulin, turn right.

(11) Keep right at the next crossroads. Walk past Leffe Abbey. Note the monument on the left. Continue along Rue Rémy Himmer, passing the workers' houses. Ignore all the paths leading to the right. Pass the small square on the right and walk along the River Leffe.

(12) At the monument before a left-hand bend, turn right. Cross the Leffe. Follow Rue Al Prée. At the end, climb a steep path on the left into the woods. At the exit, walk along the farm on the left (green rectangle on white background signposting).

(13) At the end of the field, go down the small asphalt road to the N936, Rue Saint-Jacques.

(14) Walk down Rue Saint-Jacques for 200 metres. At the pedestrian crossing, cross and turn left. Keep to the right to take Rue du Pont d'Amour. At the fork, stay on the main road and continue to the football pitch.

(15) Turn right onto Chemin de la Citadelle (road).

(16) Before the French cemetery, turn left onto the^GR®® 126, a walk along the hillsides. Take the path that leads to a disused car park covered in gravel. Before the exit, walk along the concrete fence on the right. The path becomes a trail. Stay on the highest path, marked with a yellow rectangle, ignoring the various paths that descend to the right. Further on, enjoy the view of the town and the Meuse valley. Continue along the path (yellow rectangle) to the road.

(17) Go down Rue Montagne de la Croix on the right. At the bottom, turn left onto Rue Alexandre Daoust. Cross to the other pavement using the first pedestrian crossing. At the car park, take the central lane towards the Meuse to join the towpath between the Ibis and the Casino.

(18) Turn left on the quay. Walk upstream as close as possible to the river until you reach Rocher Bayard.

(19) At the next pedestrian crossing, cross the road to see a monument, then retrace your steps. Continue left towards Anseremme along the Meuse. Pass under the viaduct.

(20) Cross the bridge over the Lesse before returning to the car park (S/E).

Refreshments available in Dinant if you leave the route.
Café at Rocher Bayard. Cafés and restaurants at the finish.
Take advantage of your visit to see the citadel, which is open all year round.
Benches on the banks of the Meuse.
Tourist Office near the Charles de Gaulle statue.
Gradients of up to 15% - caution advised.
Rue Saint-Jacques is a busy road - caution.
Dinant is a tourist town. Be sure to use the pedestrian crossings. Watch out for distracted drivers.

At point (2): Neffe aqueduct monument.
Between points (3) and (5), below on the right, 14-18 Memorial.
Point (5): porch of the old spinning mill: history of the battle - names of civilians massacred.
At 113 Rue Saint Pierre: birthplace of Abbé Pire - Nobel Peace Prize winner. Opposite, above a door of the athenaeum, names of teachers and students who died.
Point (6): monument.
Rue Himmer - descent of the invader on the town. At the end on the left, monument.
At point (8), French cemetery, citadel, Café du Plateau.
Between points (8) and (9), viewpoint over Dinant.
Rue Daoust before the car park: wall of those shot.
Point (11) Rocher Bayard - Monument to the massacre of women and children.
Numerous commemorative plaques recalling the tragic events of August 1914.