Écaussinnes walks

The mainly urban section at the start allows you to discover some of the gems of the two Écaussinnes (Écaussinnes-Lalaing and Écaussinnes-d’Enghien) before heading out into the countryside between Ronquières and Feluy via the magnificent Senette valley. A walk with two distinct character, which can very easily be split into a short urban stroll and a longer countryside walk.

La Haye du Roeulx is the wooded area that surrounds our small princely town to the north-northeast. In addition to exploring our countryside and woods, this route will allow you to discover the town centre of Le Roeulx and its sights.

This is an easy walk, about an hour's drive from Brussels. You will discover the two castles of Écaussinnes as you walk through the forest, along country roads and paths with the Ronquières Tower as a landmark.

After a short warm-up walk in the arboretum, where small educational signs provide information on the names of the trees found here, the hike takes you on a long, easy walk around the Bois de la Houssière, a popular destination for walkers in this region of Belgium.

This region is criss-crossed by canals, some very modern ones having replaced the old canals, a section of which we follow on this easy walk that takes us past some of the locks dotting the route.The locks that can be seen during this walk have been out of use since 1958. Since then, the lock gates have been removed and artificial waterfalls have been created on the downstream side. And this is the result that can be seen today.

This cycle route, starting in Seneffe, takes you to Ghent along the region’s iconic waterways. Ideal for an accessible and easy-going cycle ride, the route follows the landscaped banks of the Charleroi–Brussels Canal, offering you a peaceful, leafy route through Wallonia and Flanders.

This easy walk follows the Canal du Centre and the old canal for the most part, before crossing the countryside to reach the top of the Ronquières inclined plane, which is used to transfer boats. This ‘lift’ overcomes a 68-metre difference in height over a distance of 1,432 metres.

The second stage of the Tour de Wallonie takes us today from the town of Braine-le-Comte to Meslin-l’Evèque, a small village in the municipality of Ath to the north-east. We will mainly be walking along small country lanes as we cross this beautiful, gently rolling Hainaut countryside, passing through a few small villages and other hamlets such as Horrues. A short detour of a few metres to view Thoricourt Castle from behind its gates before crossing part of the infamous Ghislenghien industrial estate.

Part countryside, part woodland, this circular walk takes you on a journey of discovery through the area to the west of the Ronquières Inclined Plane on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and the Hainaut town of Braine-le-Comte.Whilst the walk does not strictly speaking pass through the incline site itself, it offers a fine view of its tower, visible from a great distance even though it lies at the bottom of the Senette valley.Starting in the countryside, the route quickly climbs towards the Houssière forest, with its countless paths and tracks and its old sand pits.You’ll come across the ‘Bonhomme de Fer’ at the southern end of this woodland. It is quite simply a geodetic marker dating fromthe mid-19th century, erected by the Belgian military engineers of the time to map Belgium more accurately. It formed part of a primary network of 86 points, some of which were marked by a cast-iron marker in the shape of a human figure.

Here is a pleasant circular route mainly along the water’s edge with an unusual point of interest. To explore it properly, bring a torch. You’ll be able to see inside the Godarville boat tunnel, though without actually entering it. Those with a keen eye will spot here and there remnants of times gone by, such as landing stages, bollards or mooring posts, and a variety of birds, including cormorants.

An easy walk through the pretty region of Arquennes, along paths, country lanes, woodland edges and the Ravel cycle route, returning along the Charleroi/Brussels canal. The route is almost entirely car-free.

This route first follows the Canal du Centre Historique and its four hydraulic lifts, then returns via the new Canal du Centre and the impressive Strépy-Thieu boat lift. We will also cross the Sart canal bridge. On the old canal, we will also see the Houdeng swing bridge and the Bracquegnies drawbridge. Hike without detailed description to be followed with the Visorando app.

This walk will introduce you to some aspects of the countryside in the north-western quarter of Soignies. The first section passes near the region’s quarries through flat countryside, whilst the second section is more pastoral and slightly undulating. Most of the route follows lovely paths or quiet roads (with alternative routes indicated in case of rain).

Let’s all set off on a lovely ride during which you’ll discover the lush green landscapes of our area, the charm and tranquillity of the banks of the new Canal du Centre, and the historic heart of our little princely town.

Discover the Roeulx and La Louvière region with its rural landscapes and views of the canal in the historic centre, featuring its old hydraulic lifts and funicular railway. Bicycle hire available (see practical information)

A picturesque tour of the town of Le Roeulx and its surroundings.

A relaxing stroll in and around the town of Le Roeulx.

A picturesque tour will allow you to discover the charm of Le Roeulx, guiding you through its characterful houses and iconic monuments. This town has managed to preserve its rural atmosphere while offering architectural treasures to explore.

The town of Le Rœulx is an important crossing point for river barges linking the Brussels–Charleroi Canal (at Seneffe) to the Nimy–Blaton–Péronnes Canal (at Nimy). They thus connect to the French canals.This walk will allow you to discover the old and new Canal du Centre, with its main points of interest, including, amongst others, the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift and the four hydraulic lifts located on the historic Canal du Centre.

A ride through the countryside and along the canals of the Roeulx area. Bicycle hire available (see practical information)

This walk will allow you to discover the remarkable sites of the town of Le Roeulx and its bucolic landscapes.

A route where every step reveals a fragment of history. At Les Onze Bonniers, the mist floats like a memory. The streams of Pont à Mousson and Les Corbeaux whisper their legends — it is said that crows guided travellers. In the Bois de l'Hôpital, du Planti and d'en Bas, you will find elusive chamois, ancient herbs and secret springs. The Brussels–Charleroi canal unfurls its memories of barges and towpaths. La Gratière, La Thines and Hiernoulet offer golden light and dragonflies. There are also the Fermes de la Barette, de l'Abbaye and du Seigneur, guardians of the fields. At the Caverne du Philosophe, silence becomes history. Villages such as Ronquières, Chenu and Bornival are as gentle as an old book.A hike that whispers its secrets.

Starting from the heights of Ittre, a short footpath followed by a stretch of road leads to the first panoramic view, stretching all the way to the tower of the Ronquières inclined plane on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal. Your journey will take you as far as this canal, taking in a succession of other panoramic views, each as beautiful as the last, before descending to join the Ravel cycle route along the water’s edge. The climb back up takes you through the fields, always with the Ronquières Tower in view. After bidding it farewell, there’s a short break on the plateau and another panoramic view of the route you took on the way there, before you descend into the Ri de Fauquez valley, from where you climb back up to rejoin the original route. The icing on the cake is that you might just be greeted by a llama in a meadow...

On this easy walk, which is mainly on hard-surfaced paths, you will discover a fine feat of engineering, one of many in the region, symbolising both the economic vitality of this area and human ingenuity in overcoming natural obstacles.

Admire the landscape of the Canal du Centre, the century-old drawbridges and the lifts that operate solely on hydraulic power.

Starting from the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift, the walk takes you on a discovery of the infrastructure of both canals, the historic and the recent.Four lifts, two drawbridges, two swing bridges and a few other remains, documented on four-language information panels, enhance the walk along the historic canal to its junction with the new canal at its eastern end.

The central canal and the historic canal have joined forces with a short stretch of the Haine to create a delightful walk along the water.

During this easy walk, you will discover some prodigious engineering works built on the Canal du Centre, culminating in the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift,the second largest boat lift in the world.

This walk is designed to show you all the different facets of our beautiful village of Gottignies. You’ll love it – it’s a lovely, rural walk. Sometimes quite challenging and sometimes easy, neither too long nor too short: just the right length.

Explore the beautiful Rhône countryside and follow the meandering course of this pretty little river. An easy walk, with no large forests to cross but vast landscapes along dirt tracks.

This walking route offers panoramic views of magnificent valleys and, above all, Wanze. Gottignies is a beautiful village in the municipality of Le Roeulx, nestled between two hills. The Church of St Léger has just been renovated. Several walking routes are available. Here, the 20 km route is used by the village walking group "Les Marcheurs Gottignards".

The Wanze is a small river that flows through Gottignies and into the Haine at Ville-sur-Haine. This walk takes us to the source of the river, which you can ford. It's a great way to discover the bucolic landscapes of this small village.

Discover Gottignies and Ville-sur-Haine as you follow the meandering course of the Wanze. This river, which can also be spelled "Wance", rises in Montauban and flows through the small village of Gottignies before joining the Haine in Ville-sur-Haine.

Discover the village of Gottignies with its hills, valleys, magnificent panoramic views and tranquillity. A bucolic landscape waiting to be explored.

During this walk, discover three slag heaps situated relatively close to one another: the AlbertI, Quesnoy and Saint-Emmanuel slag heaps. Slag heaps are man-made hills formed by the gradual accumulation of mining waste produced by mining operations. These hills stand as a testament to an iconic industrial activity that provided a livelihood for several generations of locals, and which has now ceased.

The appeal of this walk lies in the way it combines the region’s mining history with the tranquil beauty of the historic Canal du Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring its boat lifts—now operational again—and other infrastructure dating back over 100 years, bearing witness to the ingenuity of their designers.

The walk, which starts at the old Rognon station, takes you through the surrounding countryside and, at the end, follows just over two kilometres of the old line 123.Straddling the provinces of Walloon Brabant and Hainaut, the main features are a gently undulating landscape, fairly distant villages and, between them, a habitat that is both omnipresent and very scattered: numerous private dwellings and isolated farms or small hamlets.

Departure from Place Hardat in Thieu (part of Le Roeulx) A lovely way to visit the four historic hydraulic lifts on the Canal du Centre. Superb views superb views of the local countryside.

As you travel along both the old and new canals, journey from Thieu to Ville-sur-Haine whilst discovering or rediscovering the engineering structures of the waterways (drawbridges, locks and lifts, etc.). Enjoy the peace and quiet as you stroll at your leisure along the towpaths.

Departure from Place Hardat in Thieu (part of Le Roeulx). Follow the two canals, the old and the new, from Thieu to Ville-sur-Haine, discovering or rediscovering the engineering structures of the waterways (drawbridges, locks, lifts). Enjoy the peace and quiet as you stroll along the towpaths at your leisure.

Thieu, a village situated between two waterways – between the new and old Canal du Centre – offers a wide variety of landscapes, ranging from waterside views to countryside scenery.

A circular route almost entirely through the countryside, starting from the centre of Ittre and ending at the Château de la Tournette golf course. Along the way, the Ravel cycle path runs alongside the Ri Ternel river, taking in the sweeping agricultural landscapes on the heights of Haut-Ittre – with, among other things, its beautiful hedgerows allowing nature to flourish – and crossing the golf course, all in an atmosphere of calm and serenity.

Over hill and dale, through meadows and woodland, along country lanes, towpaths and a few streets – all linking up to form the backbone of this walk. The first section allows you to discover the natural surroundings so close to Ittre; just a few steps uphill take you to the Brussels–Charleroi Canal at lock no. 5. You then walk alongside Ittre’s marina and continue along the towpath. A semi-urban stretch takes you back into the countryside, where the path zigzags until it leads you to the Golf de la Tournette. The final stretch follows the Ry Ternel back to the centre of Ittre.

In the heart of Walloon Brabant, Ittre reveals a landscape of deep forests and secret valleys. The Bois des Frères, Bois du Bailli and Bois du Chapitre offer a refuge for wildlife. Le Bilot and La Baraque l'Hermitage combine ancient stones and peaceful clearings.Around Braine-le-Château, the heritage tells the story: medieval castle, Ferme Sainte-Croix and villages with evocative names such as Derrière les Monts or Le Cheval Blanc. Local legends still tell of white horses crossing the woods at dusk.The paths wind between hills and meadows, on sandy and clay soils. Heather, holly and oak trees make up a typical Brabant landscape. Mixed forests, wet meadows, orchids, ferns, deer and rare birds punctuate the walk. Between nature, history and legends, Ittre invites you to immerse yourself peacefully in the memory of the woods.

Starting from the pleasant little square in Ittre, a small path quickly leads to unusual places so close to the town. Then there are vast landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see, followed by a pleasant walk through the Bois du Chapitre forest as you continue on your way. This is how this circular route is constructed, with a few streets here and there connecting the paths that take precedence here. And, as the icing on the cake, you pass by the Brussels-Charleroi Canal, discover lock no. 5 and the Ittre marina, and, before setting off again, stroll through the narrow streets of Ittre.

The name of this village is said to come from the presence of a Roman villa built along the Haine River. The name evolved over the centuries, becoming 'Villa-Super-Hoeniam' (1240), 'Ville-Sour-Haine' (1293), 'Ville-sur-Haysne' (1660) and 'Ville-Sur-Heine' (1744). This walk will take you mainly along the towpaths of the Canal du Centre and the Canal du Centre Historique.