Starting from the dinosaur car park in Merbes-le-Château, the walk offers a circular route through the Upper Sambre Valley, passing by the first two locks on the Belgian side and through the countryside overlooking the Hantes Valley.
The route follows two pretty little sections of the tram line that once linked Binche to Montignies-Saint-Christophe.
The architectural highlight of the route is the magnificent Château de Solre-sur-Sambre.
Country:
Belgium
City:
Merbes-le-Château 
Hello Arina,
i'm glad to hear that the hike lived up to your expectations.
The bridge has been accessible without any problems for several years, including during my last visit just two months ago, on 15 June 2025.
I will try to get some information from the local council and/or the tourist office about its condition and, above all, how long it will remain closed to traffic. I will post a message as soon as I receive any useful information.
Best regards
Jacques
Machine-translated
Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Aug 22, 2025
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A pleasant, varied and easy walk through fields, picturesque villages and towpaths. Despite the lack of a detailed description of the route, it is very easy to find your way thanks to a reliable app, with one exception. From the car park, it is advisable to follow the river on the same bank, but the bridge you then have to cross is in poor condition and closed to pedestrians. You must therefore cross the bridge near the car park to reach the other bank and continue along the towpath. Along the calm and peaceful river, similar to the Sambre Canal, seagulls, ducks, swans and herons fly overhead with the rustling of their wings. If you are lucky, in the La Buissière area, you can see the old locks still in operation, where some operations are surprisingly done by hand.
Machine-translated
Circular route starting from Hantes-Wihéries towards the Roman Bridge. 
Visorando Member 
5.57 mi
+253 ft
-240 ft
2h 45
Easy
Departure from Erquelinnes (Hainaut)
Farms and castles around the Thure and Hante rivers Visorando Member 
10.11 mi
+505 ft
-515 ft
5h 05
Moderate
Departure from Erquelinnes (Hainaut)
Cross the border between Jeumont and Solre-sur-Sambre 
AONB 
6.24 mi
+125 ft
-118 ft
3h 00
Easy
Departure from Jeumont (Nord)
Route de Jovis Mont in Jeumont AONB 
4.80 mi
+203 ft
-230 ft
2h 25
Easy
Departure from Jeumont (Nord)
The left bank of the Thure and the quarries at Bersillies-L'Abbaye Visorando Member 
5.38 mi
+361 ft
-348 ft
2h 45
Easy
Departure from Erquelinnes (Hainaut)
Circular of Bonne Espérance Abbey Visorando Member 
5.66 mi
+230 ft
-217 ft
2h 50
Moderate
Departure from Estinnes (Hainaut)
Around Thuin Visorando Member 
4.06 mi
+344 ft
-351 ft
2h 10
Easy
Departure from Thuin (Hainaut)
Route from La Hante to Cousolre AONB 
8.25 mi
+541 ft
-538 ft
4h 15
Moderate
Departure from Cousolre (Nord)
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