Solvay Regional Estate and Château de La Hulpe

After a trip to the Sonian Forest, Miss Kika will show you around the Solvay Estate and its "Moulinsart-style" castle. Perhaps you'll bump into Professor Calculus? However, there's no chance of seeing Captain Haddock, as the park's many lakes are for freshwater sailors only!

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.87 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 94 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 95 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 138 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 64 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the Folon Foundation car park, head south-west and continue on foot along Chemin de la Ramée until you reach the end, 200 metres from the car park.

(1) Turn right onto Drève Joséphine. You will then follow part of theGR®126(Brussels - Membre-sur-Semois) trail, which winds along a stream, until you reach Drève de la Meute.

(2) Turn right and continue for about 700 metres until you reach a star-shaped crossroads. Then turn right onto Chemin de la Longue Queue to enter the Solvay Estate.

(3) Immediately turn left onto the small path (caution: this section is hillier and muddy in wet weather – you can take a shortcut by continuing straight ahead on Chemin de la Longue Queue).
When this path reaches the edge of the estate, take the path on the right that runs alongside the wooden fence and crosses a field of ferns. It then leaves the fence, veering off to the right, before arriving at a meadow. Follow the path on the left at the edge of the meadow and enjoy the beautiful view of the castle.

(4) Further on, you will rejoin Chemin de la Longue Queue, which you take on the left, towards the castle.

(5) Near the castle, take the path on the left that leads to the Etang de la Longue Queue, which you will walk around almost entirely before turning left to go back up towards the castle and around it. Facing the castle (west terrace), admire the obelisk at the end of the grassy clearing. Also take a look at the small garden to the left of the castle.

(6) After the castle, turn left onto the path that descends towards the Clos des Campanules. Then turn right at the hairpin bend and continue to the Folon Foundation.

(7) Go around the buildings on the left, then head straight ahead to go around the Etang de la Ferme and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 82 m - Folon Foundation car park
  2. 1 : km 0.29 - alt. 90 m - Turn right onto Drève Joséphine
  3. 2 : km 1.83 - alt. 122 m - Drève de la Meute
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 129 m - Turn left onto the small path
  5. 4 : km 3.88 - alt. 121 m - Chemin de la Longue Queue
  6. 5 : km 4.66 - alt. 83 m - Chateau de La Hulpe
  7. 6 : km 6.93 - alt. 85 m - Turn left downhill
  8. 7 : km 7.95 - alt. 80 m - Folon Foundation
  9. S/E : km 8.87 - alt. 82 m - Folon Foundation car park

Notes

The Solvay Estate is a very popular spot in the region, attracting many walkers who come with their families, especially on Sunday afternoons. Certain events, such as seasonal fairs, also draw large crowds.

Picnics are permitted on certain lawns reserved for this purpose.

The Folon Foundation has a tavern. During the season, you can also find a few street vendors at the entrances to the estate.

Worth a visit

Solvay Estate - Château de La Hulpe

The Solvay regional estate, on the edge of the Sonian Forest, is a 227-hectare park laid out around numerous ponds, meadows, orchards and wooded areas. It is entirely accessible to the public free of charge, in accordance with the wishes of Ernest-John Solvay, grandson of the industrialist Ernest Solvay, founder of the international company of the same name, when he donated it to the Belgian State on condition that it be maintained in its entirety and used to promote cultural events and gatherings.

In addition to the castle, which was built in the Flemish Neo-Renaissance style and completed in 1842, the park also features a French garden, a belvedere accessed by a staircase of 140 steps, a 36-metre-high obelisk topped with a golden sun, located at the end of an 800-metre straight grassy path through the forest, and numerous species of exotic plants.

The estate is also home to the Folon Foundation and a centre for hippotherapy and adapted horse riding. It is also the venue for numerous cultural shows, exhibitions and other seasonal fairs.
http://chateaudelahulpe.be/

Folon Foundation

The Folon Foundation presents more than 500 works by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon in the Château Farm, retracing more than forty years of watercolours, engravings, posters and sculptures. Older visitors will remember the artist's end credits for Antenne 2 programmes (the little blue men flying away). The exhibition is accompanied by music, films and optical effects.
https://fondationfolon.be/

Sonian Forest

The Sonian Forest, covering some 5,000 hectares, is one of the largest peri-urban forests in Europe. It stretches from the outskirts of Brussels, less than 5 kilometres from the Grand-Place, to Waterloo, 15 kilometres away, and is therefore the green lung of the city. A remnant of the vast forest that once covered much of Brabant and northern France, it is mainly planted with beech (80%) and oak (10%) trees. It is still home to around 40 species of mammals, some 130 species of birds and numerous species of reptiles, amphibians and insects. It is home to many points of interest such as the Bois de la Cambre, the Tervuren Arboretum, Tournay-Solvay Park, the Solvay estate and its castle, Groenendaal, Tervuren Park and its Royal Museum for Central Africa, the Rouge-Cloître estate, and more. The many opportunities for walks make it a popular destination for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.

 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 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
rAoule66
rAoule66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent loop through the park and woods of La Hulpe Castle.
I know this area well, but thanks to Visorando, I discovered some little-known and quiet paths, much to my delight 😊
Two-thirds of the way along the route, we came back to the castle.
I had to change the route at the end because the paths were closed off near the pond close to the Folon Museum due to nesting season.
A very pretty, easy walk that I highly recommend 😊

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Gavanaelle
Gavanaelle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route through wooded areas and along the edge of a pond.

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Zoé 27be
Zoé 27be

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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Yogiyoga
Yogiyoga

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk through varied landscapes, woods, parks and the Château de la Hulpe. Unfortunately, as the heat became more intense, we did not continue our hike to search for the obelisk. We will take advantage of the late season to repeat the route and linger to discover this marvel.

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yobottine
yobottine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We went on a weekday, so it wasn't very busy. A wonderful discovery from the south of the country. I didn't know this area and the tree-lined avenues are breathtaking.
A superb walk in a magnificent setting, but I would definitely avoid weekends!

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Marley
Marley

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A bit mixed feelings about the location...not always easy.
But a very pleasant walk
Not too crowded this Friday.

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babelli
babelli

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a varied route, straying off the beaten track in its first section, not very clear in the "tour de la prairie" but you can still find your way around. The route through Solvay Park is much busier and less "innovative" but nevertheless very pretty.

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babelli
babelli

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

lovely varied route

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floreandre
floreandre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

lovely walk in the woods but lacks some signage

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dellugay
dellugay

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant and very easy walk. It's a lovely Sunday stroll to enjoy with family or friends, sharing life's joys and worries. It's very easy to get there and park. The route gets quite busy towards the end of the walk.
I still recommend it

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Florence 14
Florence 14

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk! Highly recommended, especially now that the rhododendrons are in bloom.

The return trip to Solvay Castle is very pleasant.

Thank you to Miss Kika for sharing this.

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bonnetpascal
bonnetpascal
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

HELLO,

BEAUTIFUL HIKE, PLEASANT PARK BUT VERY BUSY... WORTH DOING AT LEAST ONCE.

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Severnaia
Severnaia

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Family hike with young children. You can shorten the walk (4.5 km instead of 7.5 km) by following the route on the map, turning right and returning to the Folon Foundation car park, arriving at the lawns of La Hulpe Castle.

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Chantal Van Roy
Chantal Van Roy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk, mainly through woods, with a wonderful end to the route at La Hulpe Castle.

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LazyFox
LazyFox

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 21, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

an easy and pleasant walk with a beautiful view of La Hulpe Castle, which can be admired from every angle. Thank you for this walk.

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