The Hazienne Valley: Olne - Vaux - Froidbermont

Leave the village towards Vaux-sous-Olne. Walk towards the Hazienne valley and its wooded hillsides before climbing the Bois-d'Olne hill. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Hazienne, a secret stream also known as the Bola de Grand-Rechain in Soiron, with its capricious meanders and sometimes underground course. Let's head back up towards the village via Froidbermont, where the first castle of Olne was located.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.26 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 218 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 220 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 255 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 124 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start and finish at the Hall Omnisport (Leisure Centre).
Purple diamond markings (no. 4)

(S/E) From the Olne Leisure Centre, head towards the village and then take the first path on the left called Chemin de Filpau. Once you have turned off, keep to the right (Trixhes or Tris) towards the Terwangne woods.

(1) On your left, pass the first white gate and follow the hedge for 100 metres before you see the second gate. From here, you will have a magnificent view towards Beaufays.

(2) Below, near an old farmhouse, you will find the third white gate, which you cross by turning left. You will see the fourth gate at the edge of the grove. As you cross it, you will see the fifth white gate straight ahead. Once you have crossed it, you will find yourself on the path called "La Vauxsale", which you follow downhill.

(3) At the bottom, in front of you, is the hamlet of Vaux-sous-Olne, which we will just touch on. After 150 metres, turn left and follow the stream (the resurgence of the Ri de Rode). Then turn left again onto the Soiron road (350 metres) towards a place called Tonvoie. Please note that the road is dangerous. Do not take the Tonvoie path, but continue along the road. After 50 metres, cross the Hazienne stream on your right and follow the path above it (the old access road to Soiron).

(4) You will arrive at the foot of Froidbermont (opposite you is the valley, classified as a protected area, up to a place called Les Fosses). Continue to the right and take the small path almost immediately on your right, which will lead you to the asphalt road of Croupet du Bois.

(5) Just before the summit, take the Haut Sart dirt track straight ahead. On the left, enjoy a beautiful view towards Olne and the Pays de Herve. Continue to the farm and take the asphalt path of Bois d'Olne on the left, which is a hairpin bend.

(6) After 200 metres, turn right onto the small path that will take you back to the Hazienne stream and the Soiron road. Cross it and take the path called En Egypte.

(7) At the top, turn left onto Chemin du Vieux Puits. You will now enter the hamlet of Froidbermont. On your left, you will see the old well, then you will arrive at Rue de Froidbermont. Follow this road downhill. After 150 metres, on the right, you will see the old Cense Seigneuriale de Froidbermont. Go around it to descend towards the Préhay pond with its pump.

(8) Facing the pond, go back up to Au Chêne via the asphalt path. Continue climbing towards Olne following the Filpau path. When you reach the village, turn right to return to the starting point, the Hall Omnisport (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 242 m - Leisure centre (Hall Omnisport) - Château d'Olne
  2. 1 : km 0.66 - alt. 231 m - Bois Terwangne: 1st footbridge
  3. 2 : km 1.04 - alt. 185 m - Old Farm
  4. 3 : km 1.64 - alt. 133 m - Entrance to Vaux-sous-Olne
  5. 4 : km 3.06 - alt. 156 m - Soiron - Froidbermont road junction
  6. 5 : km 3.78 - alt. 250 m - Croupet du Bois - Haut Sart crossroads
  7. 6 : km 4.64 - alt. 222 m - On the right, path towards the stream
  8. 7 : km 5.48 - alt. 227 m - Chemin du Vieux Puits
  9. 8 : km 6.19 - alt. 198 m - Préhay Pond
  10. S/E : km 7.26 - alt. 242 m - Leisure centre (Hall Omnisport) - Eglise Saint Sébastien et ancien cimetière

Notes

Start and finish at the Olne Sports Centre (Leisure Centre). A cafeteria and restaurant are available. There is a chip shop at the end of Rue des Combattants.

The hike follows the No. 4 trail (purple rectangle) throughout.

Good walking shoes are essential.

Caution
The route passes along a dangerous section of road (approx. 500 m, Route de Soiron, between Nessonvaux and Soiron). Danger especially in the bends. After 500 m, don't miss the small path on the right that runs along the valley.

Worth a visit

Starting from Olne, one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of Wallonia", our walk takes us to Vaux-sous-Olne, where there are many traces of mills and leats. The return via Froidbermont takes us close to the "seigneurial farm".

If you would like to find out more about Olne's heritage, please visit the website of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia, the Olne municipal website and Wikipedia.

Those interested in "small heritage" can consult this website, which provides explanations for each object (potales, crosses, drinking troughs, gates with teutés, remarkable trees, etc.) and locates these objects on a map.

During the hike

(1) Admire the Church of Saint-Remacle and its old cemetery, the 17th and 18th century houses built from rubble stone extracted from nearby quarries. Some houses are made of red brick with carved limestone bands. The town hall, dating from 1746, was originally a typical 18th century bourgeois house.

(3) The Vaux-sous-Olne and Nessonvaux valleys are "mill" valleys. Water wheels provided the power initially used to grind wheat, then to work iron and finally to manufacture cannons and rifles. As the water wheels have disappeared (except for Moulin André), it is often thanks to the old leats that the former mills can be identified.

(7) and (8) Former "seigneurial farm" in the Mosan Renaissance style.

Nearby

- Numerous walks are signposted from the Omnisport Hall.
- Lovers of small heritage sites: see website
- Most beautiful villages in Wallonia: near Olne there are two other most beautiful villages in Wallonia: Soiron (4 km) and Thimister-Clermont (10 km).
- Wégimont (3 km): imposing castle, lake, playgrounds, mini golf, outdoor swimming pool.
- Further afield: Liège, Maastricht, Verviers, Eupen, the Hautes Fagnes, Monschau and Aachen.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
michel docquier
michel docquier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route with beautiful scenery.

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JPierre2101
JPierre2101

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Some paths are not clear, especially along properties and where trees have fallen across the path...

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dany2356
dany2356
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

During this cold spell, there was frost and snow, and it was much quieter. I think good weather makes walks even more enjoyable. I went on this walk with three groups of four people. A very beautiful walk near the streams – superb!

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Mamylou
Mamylou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, hilly walk. Some muddy sections require good footwear. A long climb on tarmac to reach the top of the "Croupet du Bois" and discover a superb view over the Herve region. The temporary detour is also well signposted and allows you to reach the "En Egypte" path without any problems.
There were quite a few people on this route (pedestrians, mountain bikers, joggers), but it was the weekend!

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µµ
µµ
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, with wooded countryside and woods, a nice elevation gain and few walkers this Saturday afternoon.
I easily modified the route by not going through the Olne woods because there is a risk of fatal contamination for salamanders and newts (bacteria carried by muddy shoes).

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lucvertongen
lucvertongen

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route through remote valleys offering stunning scenery!
Two minor drawbacks that cannot be attributed to the organisers:
- a fairly long stretch on the road, but clearly signposted
- a section closed to traffic due to a local frog disease, requiring a fairly long detour, which was peaceful but not particularly interesting

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Claire Lecocq
Claire Lecocq

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Some inaccuracies in the signposting: after the fifth footbridge, the sign indicates to take the downhill path, but there are no more purple diamond markers, so we took the very steep path and ended up in the village of Vaux...(Looking at the map, we found the marked path again at the village exit.) Then, on the descent towards the Soiron road, there is a sign indicating a detour from the original path, and when we reached the Soiron road, there were no more signs... Why this detour?
So just a few minor inconveniences...

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Azimut71
Azimut71

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The route changes slightly (for the better) after the third stile: the fourth is located on the far left near the woods; then you cross the field away from the farm, descending towards the fifth stile, which leads to a very pretty sunken path that takes you to the right to the entrance to Petit Vaux.
The climb up Croupet du Bois is quite steep, but the route between 5 and 6 is very beautiful (it's worth the effort!).

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titidundee
titidundee

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb route offering views of the valleys from one plateau to another.
Very well signposted
Beautiful streams
Modern, well-maintained crossing equipment to access the pastures
Very pretty little wood with magnificent rocks.
Highly recommended

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Himalaya1993
Himalaya1993

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent walk across the countryside in winter weather conditions (dry, frozen ground). Very varied paths. Good physical condition and sturdy footwear required as there are some steep climbs and uneven terrain. Beautiful scenery in various parishes specific to Brittany along the route. DO THIS IN DRY WEATHER as it can be slippery and muddy in wet conditions. Take care when walking along the main road (500 m); cars drive fast! Thank you, Visorando!

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Fouarge
Fouarge

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

An interesting walk, but crossing the meadows with cows present is complicated.
Then, when you leave the meadows, you find yourself in an area that is poorly maintained because the path is overgrown with tall grass. It would probably not be a good idea to do this walk after heavy rain because crossing the stream along the dangerous main road can be potentially very dangerous.
If this hike becomes popular, it would be a good idea for the local authorities to improve the footpath along the main road.

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gepejhfl
gepejhfl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Don't underestimate the slopes!

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