The Castle of the Counts of Hamal

This is an easy, short hike that allows you to discover the Calestienne region and the Ardennes, with the added bonus of a view of the splendid Château des Comtes de Hamal in Vierves.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 121 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 123 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 227 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 131 m

Photos

Description of the walk

We start our route at the CFV3V station in Olloy.
(S/E) We turn our backs on it and take Rue Jean Chot on the right until we reach the four-way crossroads.
At the crossroads, we take the left-hand path towards the river (the Viroin), which we cross via the Old Bridge.

(1) Once on the other side of the Viroin, we take great care as we cross the N99 national road and take a fairly steep street called Rue de la Goulette. Further up the street, the tarmac road disappears, giving way to a stone path.

(2) We must be careful not to miss the path that appears on our right.
The path leads us to La Roche du Pas.

(3) We can take a break before continuing along the path towards the village of Vierves.
We reach the end of the path where the road forms a T-junction.

(4) We then take the left side and walk along a meadow.
After the path makes a 90-degree turn to the right, we take the first left towards the castle. Be careful, the path crosses the N99 national road!
We arrive at the Old Wash House, where we have a splendid view of the castle.

(5) We walk along the left side of the castle and go around it via Rue des Remparts. We pass in front of the church, then in front of the castle porch before entering the old feudal cemetery, which has been converted into a children's park, and continue towards the river below.

(6) We now arrive at the start of a long-distance hiking trail, theGR® 654. We can follow this path without any difficulty almost to the village of Olloy, where we will find our bearings again in the direction of the station.

(7) When we arrive at the Nordic Walking starting point, we are at a crossroads. We take the path on the right. A little further on, we cross the railway line.
We now pass in front of the cemetery of the village of Olloy-sur-Viroin. Just after that, the road forms a Y. We take the path on the right (Rue Cheraivoie) towards the village. We quickly reach the centre of the village (called Les Quatre Chemins), from where we return to the station (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 139 m - CFV3V station - Towards the bridge - Viroin (rivière) - Belgique
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 143 m - La Goulette
  3. 2 : km 0.77 - alt. 188 m - Nature reserve trail
  4. 3 : km 1.21 - alt. 206 m - Roche du Pas
  5. 4 : km 1.78 - alt. 227 m - T-junction
  6. 5 : km 2.71 - alt. 145 m - Castle of the Counts of Hamal
  7. 6 : km 3.29 - alt. 136 m - Long hike
  8. 7 : km 5.42 - alt. 154 m - Nordic walking departure point
  9. S/E : km 6.8 - alt. 139 m - CFV3V station

Notes

This hike can be perfectly combined with a steam train ride when the season is right.

Worth a visit

La Roche du Pas offers a magnificent panorama of the village of Olloy. Take the opportunity to take a short break on the rocky outcrop surrounded by magnificent Scots pines.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
PH Cambier
PH Cambier

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

nice walk with lovely scenery.
It's a bit uphill at the start, but then it's really cool

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Salim J.
Salim J.

Hello, thank you for your feedback.

On the information sheet, the estimated time is just over two hours and the distance is just over six kilometres.

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watrfran
watrfran

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

after several hikes using your maps, I have found that the duration indicated is underestimated and the number of kilometres is incorrect. This is a problem because you set off thinking you are going to walk 4 km and end up coming back two hours later with 10 km under your belt. It is not reliable, which is a shame.
furthermore, the signs are not always very visible.

i hope these comments will lead to positive changes.
kind regards
Watremez France.

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Salim J.
Salim J.

Hello, thank you for your comment ;-)

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cil
cil

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant walk in the woods. Not very easy due to the steps and slightly steep slopes. Apart from that, the walk is not difficult at all. Superb scenery. Definitely worth doing.

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AJ
AJ

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little family route. It's quite steep at the start, but there's a small path on the right that you mustn't miss. It's not difficult after that. I think I'll do it again, running this time – it'll be perfect. There are several places to stop for a picnic.

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acollie
acollie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We followed this route as a family, starting from Olloy-sur-Viroin. The route is very pleasant, even if you have to hang on tight at the start of the walk, when the first street is a small climb to the heights before descending more gently.
The first turn onto the small path that enters the woods after the climb is not obvious, but as we had been warned, we paid close attention and didn't miss the signpost.

Overall, a very nice hike, just a little long for people who are slowly getting back into physical activity.
Just a quick note: in winter, when the banks of the Viroin are muddy, some paths are a little difficult to walk on. Good shoes are therefore helpful.

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PDA
PDA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Friday 18 December was a wonderful day spent walking through the Ardennes forests in glorious sunshine. The view from La Roche au Pas over the village of Olloy is superb. Vierves reminds me of my childhood, when we used to go on week-long school trips (Athénée Royal de Binche). The view of the castle from the banks of the Viroin is magnificent.
A great outing for the whole family... Very good!

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Philzarc
Philzarc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The sun accompanied us throughout our walk, allowing us to discover a landscape of hills and forests bathed at times in pretty veils of mist. Picnic areas at two points along the route are welcome additions, but the cold prevented us from lingering there. On several occasions, we approached the Viroin, a beautiful, gently flowing river. The Château de Vierves, perched on its spur, is very impressive.
In short, a great time! Thank you to those who shared this route with us

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Salim J.
Salim J.

Thank you, Mistychat

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mitsychat
mitsychat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One word: SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Salim J.
Salim J.

Hello Vador,
Thank you very much for your message, which I greatly appreciate.

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Vador
Vador

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Congratulations, this route met all my expectations; I didn't have much time, but with the sunshine it was wonderful.

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tribu226
tribu226

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route that is very steep at the start but then fairly easy once you reach the woods. At the start, simply follow the blue diamond markers to Vierves-sur-Viroin, then the GR trail (red and white) and the signs for "St Jacques de Compostelle" for the return journey along the Viroin. The GPS, which we kept in our pocket, was not used except to reassure ourselves that we were still on the right track. Be careful, however, when leaving the woods at the bottom of the stairs, as crossing the N99 is very dangerous because it is on a bend and cars drive very fast!

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Christophe Zielonka
Christophe Zielonka

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Lovely walk in the countryside. Followed only with the description. A few moments of uncertainty in places when trying to find the right route. I'm a fan

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