Between Nafraiture and Vresse-sur-Semois

Car park at the former Orchimont local tram station, line 553.

Red Rectangle and^GR®®126markings

(S/E) With the old station building on your right, head along the path reserved for horses, pedestrians and cyclists (Ravel), keeping the picnic area on your right. Cross over the Nafraiture stream and, at the fork, turn left towards the two-arched stone bridge. Cross the stream again via this bridge. Continue along the path on your right, following the stream.

(1) At a place called La Hez Cheslin, ignore the footbridge over the Nafraiture and keep left, continuing along the same bank. At the next fork, keep right. Further on, cross the stream at the ford or via the footbridge, and cross the stream again shortly afterwards. At the wide fording point, take the path on your left; it leads to the footbridge which will allow you to cross without getting your feet wet. Continue to the left. At the fork, keep left.

(2) Opposite another wide fording point where you cannot see a footbridge, look out for the signpost on your right. Go round the tree clinging to the rock and you will find the footbridge. Cross over and continue. The path climbs and descends just as quickly. Wade across the Nûssau stream, a tributary of the Nafraiture stream. The path climbs again. It becomes a forest track and turns sharply to the right. Continue uphill, ignoring the paths branching off to your right. At the top, ignore the path coming from the right and head left towards the open area.

(3) At the hamlet of Ruthdulsant, take the forest track on the left to the N935, ignoring the adjacent paths. When you reach the hamlet of Barrière de Mointerne, leave the^GR®® and follow only the Red Rectangle markings. Cross with care and head left. Follow the N935 for a few metres and turn right at the first forest track. A wide track runs along the French border to La Roche à Campa.

(4) Go round the rock to see the view over the canopy. Retrace your steps and continue to the right along the track, which soon becomes a path. Further on, a path joins you on your right; continue to the cross-country forest track, which you take to the right.

No signposting

Stay on the main path until you reach the crossroads.

(5) Turn left. Head uphill. The path turns left. Walk along the edge of a meadow and continue to the road. Cross carefully and follow the grassy path alongside the fence to the other road. Cross carefully and take the forest track opposite.

Red Rectangle Markings

(6) At a place called Tantine, take the forest path. Turn right at the first path. At the junction, turn left and then straight right. The path turns right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Ignore the path on your right and carry on. The path descends; then ignore the path on your left and continue straight on. The path emerges from the undergrowth and runs alongside a meadow and a cultivated field. A path joins from your left; continue straight on. The path becomes tarmac and a road branches off to your right; ignore it and continue straight on.

(7) At the fork, turn right. The path veers sharply to the right at the end of the meadow, descends and then turns left.

(8) Leave the forest and continue straight on along the road. Pass by the hamlet of Le Flachîs and, further on, round the bend, you will see the chapel of the same name. After going round the chapel, continue along the road and, at the bend, carry on straight ahead along the dirt track. The Red Rectangle markings end here.

Blue-White-Blue flag markings and^GR®®126

(9) At the crossroads, go straight on. Ignore the path on the left before entering a short stretch of woodland. Walk alongside a cultivated field on your right. At the fork, turn left and enter the forest. Follow the path down, ignoring the one branching off to your left. Continue straight on through the pine forest.

(10) At the bend, turn right, leaving the markings behind.

No markings

Follow the well-marked path until you come to a path leading uphill on your left.

Blue-White-Blue flag markings

Continue straight ahead on the path. Ignore the next path on your left. Bench. At the next junction, turn left and head downhill.

(11) At the crossroads in the hamlet of Le Maquis, turn left.

(12) At the next junction, turn right; the return route will be via the path opposite. Discover the Camp des Blaireaux, with its refectory, chapel and dormitories, and take the path leading uphill next to the refectory. At the top, turn left. Ignore the markings.

No Markings

At the fork, veer right and head downhill.

(13) At the crossroads in the hamlet of La Perche, turn left and follow the forest path down to the bend.

(14) At the bend, take the path leading uphill opposite. At the top, stay on the well-marked path, which now descends. When the path descends more steeply and in hairpin bends, you begin the descent of the Roche des Fées. A small cave on your right marks the Roche des Fées. Descend to the T-junction.

(15) At the T-junction, turn left. Walk down to the Ruisseau des Blancs Cailloux stream and follow it to the left. Ignore the first path on your left and take the next one, which is actually the ford path for vehicles. Then ignore the next path on your left and continue straight on. Pass at the foot of a tall rock.

(16) At the fork, continue to the left. At the T-junction, veer right and at the next junction, turn right again. Climb up to the junction near Camp des Blaireaux.

(12) Carry on straight ahead; you’ll see Camp des Blaireaux on your left.

(11) At a place called Le Maquis, turn right. At the next fork, turn right. Pass the bench again and ignore the paths leading down to your right. At the fork, which is more clearly visible from this direction, keep to the right and head uphill until you reach a path.

Blue-White-Blue flag and^GR®®126markings

(10) Head right and follow the path. After a bend and an open area, look out for the path on your right – behind the tree with a sign attached to it – which leads to a viewpoint. A bench awaits you there. Retrace your steps and continue along the path, which becomes a trail and descends to the old station and its car park (S/E).

This hike can be shortened to just over 10km by heading straight back down to the car park at (10). This way, you’ll skip the most difficult section.
Don’t forget to check the dates for the hunting season from October to December.
Hotel, restaurant and tavern in the centre of Orchimont.
Some paths are not visible on OpenStreetMap but are on IGN; please follow the description and the route carefully.
Muddy in places

During

Roche à Campa: a megalith in the middle of the forest

Chapelle du Flachîs: We are in the Basse-Semois region; this chapel is the most moving memorial erected in memory of the resistance fighters. On 2 September 1944, volunteers from the Secret Army fought against the German Panzergrenadiers. A young Flemish resistance fighter, Jean Daelemans, who had just joined the Ardennes resistance, was killed at this spot, curiously named ‘Chemin utile’. In 1949, his widow, who was herself a nurse in the resistance, had a chapel built where she had lost her young husband, aged 23.
A plaque there commemorates the names of all the soldiers of the Secret Army who fell in battle in the Orchimont maquis. Every year, at the end of August, a remembrance ceremony takes place at this site.

Camp des Blaireaux: Reconstruction of a maquis camp. It symbolises the actions of those who chose armed resistance in the years 1943–1944, contributing through relentless harassment to the anxiety, agitation and demoralisation of the German troops.
The Maquis fighters wore green berets turned up at the front during operations, thus continuing the tradition of the Ardennes Hunters. This camp is the only one to have been restored after the war and to be maintained as a testament to the Maquis.

Roche des Fées: a cave in the rocks

Nearby

Bison ranch in Orchimont