The Roche Mouselle Cave

A family walk to discover the Grotte de la Roche Mouselle, pleasant as it is mostly through the woods.

Details

n°1312608

Creation:
25 Jul 2018

Last update:
30 Oct 2018

Last review:
24 Jul 2023

Activity: Walking
Distance: 4.98 km
Average duration: 1h 45
Difficulty: Easy
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 115 m
Descent: - 119 m
Highest point: 374 m
Lowest point: 270 m

Country: Belgium
Area: Massif des Ardennes
District: Bièvre
Start/End: N 49.901769° / E 4.967599°
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Description of the walk

Parking along the church in Petit-Fays.

Blue diamond markings

(S/E) With your back to the church entrance, turn left onto Rue de Monseigneur Lefort.
Walk carefully along the road. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead.
Go down the road to the bend.

(1) Turn left and take the path under the trees near No. 28A. The path overlooks the road.

(2) At the end of the fence of a meadow on your right, a very steep path descends; take it. At the bottom, turn left. The path suddenly becomes a trail and descends to the right towards a stream. Ford the stream. Climb back up to the trail above and turn left. The stream runs alongside the trail for a short while. Continue descending and cross the main stream again. Climb back up a less wet trail with the stream on your right. Cross again further on.

(3) When the stream rejoins the path, look for a dry stone wall on your left and climb up the embankment. Here, you will see a radical cut in the landscape, which has not yet been cleared. The path winds to the right until it crosses the main stream again. Then follow the lower path, running alongside the stream towards the road that you can see ahead. At the road, turn left.

(4) 50 metres further on, take the path directly to your left. A sign indicates that the Grotte de la Roche Mouselle is 700 metres away. Follow this path to the Roche Mouselle. Ignore the footbridge opposite the cave and continue along the path, which sometimes becomes a trail, for just under 1.5 kilometres. Cross a metal footbridge and continue on the left. The path climbs until it reaches a wide forest track.

(5) Turn left. Cross the Pont des Brebis bridge and continue straight ahead. The signposting is poor, but you can't go wrong, just keep going straight ahead. You may spot bison in the meadows on your left once you leave the forest. The path becomes a road. At the intersection, turn right and head towards the church (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 364 m - Petit-Fays Church
1 : km 0.32 - alt. 363 m - Path on the left at the bend near no. 28A.
2 : km 0.87 - alt. 350 m - Right: downhill path
3 : km 1.43 - alt. 309 m - Low wall on your left, go up
4 : km 1.62 - alt. 291 m - Path on the left
5 : km 3.42 - alt. 299 m - At the wide path on the left
S/E : km 4.98 - alt. 363 m - Petit-Fays Church

Notes

If you want a longer walk: combine this walk with La Balade de Saint-Furcy
No major difficulties, easy walk.
No water on the route.

Worth a visit

Roche Mouselle

This place is a natural shelter under the rock. It is lost in the middle of the forest where those who refused to enlist under Napoleon's First Empire used to hide.
On 23 August 1914, at the start of the First World War, the inhabitants of Monceau and Petit-Fays, fearing the German Uhlans, harnessed a cart to two sturdy Ardennes horses, loaded it with children, the sick and the elderly, and took refuge at Roche Mouselle. They felt safe there while fighting raged in Petit-Fays. As the Germans shelled the village, two frightened French officers' horses broke their ties and fled across the countryside.
While inside La Roche Mouselle the parents were organising themselves, forty children were playing outside, but the shells were exploding closer and closer. Mr Maldague, who was leading the group of villagers, ordered the children to go back into the cave and pray. It was at that moment that the two terrified French horses crashed into the carriage. All the refugees were safe. In their joy, they cried out that it was a miracle and promised to build a Marian grotto there. Once peace returned, the promise was forgotten!
In 1940, the inhabitants found refuge there once again and this time vowed to fulfil their 1914 resolution. Thus, La Roche Mouselle was converted into a Marian grotto in 1942. The refuge became a place of devotion and since then, Mass has been celebrated there on the last Sunday in September.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5

Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5

Route interest
4.1 / 5

aurorem

24 Jul 2023 at 12:17 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, easy to follow. It took us about an hour and a half. At the start of the walk, skirt around the private property so as not to trespass, contrary to what the route indicates, and you will quickly rejoin the route.

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AlfW

05 Sep 2022 at 12:09 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy little hike. We just wondered about the start, when you have to walk along the road and there are signs saying "no pedestrians" at the end of the road you have to take before joining the trail. It's a bit strange to have to walk along a road where pedestrians are not allowed, when the walk is signposted...

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mmr

17 May 2022 at 13:20 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, well-marked walk, ideal for warming up your legs.

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vincent.partage

22 Feb 2021 at 11:10 3600

Oops... I'm on my husband's account.

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vincent.partage

22 Feb 2021 at 11:10 3600

Feel free to leave your own marks on Visorando; it's through participation that the selection grows.
And if, during one of your hikes, you note on balnam that you have been on the trails, that's already great.

All the best!

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Aurélien Baguette

22 Feb 2021 at 11:01 3600

Yes, my partner and I really enjoyed ourselves in this beautiful weather!
I was familiar with the banks of the Semois, but only around Chiny or between Rochehaut and Alle most of the time. This was my first time using Visorando, and it was a very good choice. It's very useful for getting off the beaten track, which can sometimes be too busy...
I'll be using it more often in future, and I'll also take a look at what's happening on Balnam.be.

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lazzerini

22 Feb 2021 at 10:52 3600

Hello Aurélien Baguette,

Well, tell me... it was a weekend in the great outdoors, judging by all the comments left.
Thank you for choosing three of my hikes.

I look forward to reading about your other

Happy hiking!

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Aurélien Baguette

22 Feb 2021 at 10:33 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike accessible to all, relatively short and clear,
except for the descent at the start of the route to the entrance of the wide path leading to the cave.

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sophie.leclere

23 Nov 2020 at 09:27 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Apart from a few differences from the description (as mentioned in other comments: you have to go onto the road and climb over the safety barrier at point 2), the walk is pleasant (although very muddy in November). We didn't see any bison but really enjoyed the route! :-)

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lazzerini

07 Oct 2019 at 20:14 7200

Thank you and best wishes for the future on Visorando.

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color'ados

07 Oct 2019 at 17:26 7200 • Edited: 07 Oct 2019 at 17:26 7200

Hello Carla, If I remember correctly, the path is rough and impassable in that area; it is even blocked off with a no entry sign on a chain (if I remember correctly). So you have to go down another 5 metres and take the road on the left before going down another 50 metres towards the woods on the left. No big deal, except that you have to climb over a safety rail. Not easy for some people with reduced mobility... Have a nice evening ;-) Patrick

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lazzerini

07 Oct 2019 at 17:10 7200

Hello colour enthusiasts,

Thank you for your feedback. Can you tell me more about why it is now impossible to cross the ford?

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color'ados

07 Oct 2019 at 15:00 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

There is a change to point 2: it is no longer possible to cross the ford, you have to join the road, turn left and find the signpost (still on the left side of the road) 50 m further on, and you have to climb over a railing.

Otherwise, it's a pleasant walk. Best done in a group, at a leisurely pace. The cave isn't particularly impressive, but the undergrowth is superb. The bison were there, but to the right of the path. Very nice. A lovely Sunday walk!

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lazzerini

29 Aug 2018 at 11:44 7200

Hello Hervė K,
I have just returned from holiday, which explains my late reply. Seeing as you have come all the way from the Reims region for such a short walk (5 km), I can understand your disappointment.
As it is quite short, I recommend combining it with the Saint Furcy walk. (See practical information)

There are signposts along the entire circular route, which I include in my information, but apparently they were not useful to you.
Could you give me an approximate idea of where you went wrong and what could be improved?

Did you use the app or just the paper description?
Thank you for this information, which will help us to improve this short walk.
I hope you find other walks that you enjoy.
Kind regards

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Hervé K

23 Aug 2018 at 16:00 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

My wife and I went to the hiking spot. We're not great at finding our way around, but after asking for directions, we managed to find it. The signs there are pretty sparse... So much so that we had to turn back to find the path again. It was only after finding the wide path leading to the cave that we were sure we were on the right track. It's a walk in the forest, a bit rough, and the cave is rather disappointing.... We saw bison in a pasture. It was quite far away and rather average...