Park in the car park of the Val Joly tourist resort near the Maison des Cycles.
(S/E) Opposite the water sports centre, turn left towards the lake. Continue along the lake until you reach the mini golf course. Pass underneath it and then turn right to follow the lake shore towards the pedalos, going around the centre of the resort and its water sports complex (swimming pool). Continue along the lake until you reach the fork.
(1) Leave the lake and head left up the hill to the woods, turning left once to come out at the corner of the riding club. On the road, leave the resort on the right. You will arrive on theD133bis.
(2) At the crossroads, cross carefully and continue straight ahead on Chemin de Nostrimont , keeping to your right as there is one-way traffic coming towards you. At the end, turn left onto the D83, Route du Touvent. You will arrive at Sivry, an unmarked border.
(3) Turn right towards the campsite and walk alongside it, keeping it on your left, under the forest canopy. Watch out for the barrier preventing motorised two-wheelers from crossing. Pass the first crossroads with a picnic area and continue straight ahead at the edge of the forest. Be careful, this path can be muddy after rain. You will arrive at the junction with Rue de la Loripette.
(4) Take this road to the left in front of the houses. Pass the first road on the right and, at the left-hand bend, continue straight ahead along a small country road that is a dead end. At the end, you will arrive in front of a building.
(5) Turn right onto the forest path that runs alongside and overlooks the Orbaye border stream. Cross the stream via the narrow footbridge and climb up the French side of the Passée des Paucottes-sorcières path. At the end, at the blue stone oratory, you will arrive at the departmental road.
(6) Turn right (D83, Route d'Orbaye) and climb up towards Clairfayts until you reach the church.
(7) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue Haute, D104. Pass the church and cross the village. Continue to Chemin de Mons, located before the village exit and after the "Les Charmettes" bus stop.
(8) Turn right onto Chemin de Mons, which continues along a dirt track that curves to the right and then to the left before joining a road (Rue du Bosquet). Take this road to the left, pass the hamlet of Le Bosquet and continue straight ahead. Be careful: at the corner of a large property, leave the road and turn right along the boundary wall onto the dirt track Chemin d'Epinoy. Be careful, as the track descends and climbs quite steeply above the Riamé stream.
(9) Continue and, at the top, turn left onto the country lane (Chemin du Moulin à Vent). At the crossroads, opposite the leaning bell tower near the stone oratory, turn right (Route du Quartier).
(10) At the end, turn left (D962, Rue de Beaumont) towards the centre of Solre-le-Château and arrive atNo. 18Bis, before the square. Turn right onto Petite Rue and continue straight ahead (Rue de la Marlière). At the roundabout, go straight ahead and then turn right onto the dirt track. You will come to a crossroads.
(11) Turn left onto the dirt track. At the top, at the end, turn left (Chemin du Cimetière) and head towards Solre-le-Château. You will arrive at the crossroads at the corner of the cemetery.
(12) Cross the road (D963) carefully and take the path opposite (Chemin de Growez) which runs alongside the sports ground on the right and at the three-way junction. Turn sharply left (Rue de Glarge). You will soon come to a path on the right, which you should take (Chemin des Garennes). Follow this path, which overlooks the meandering Solre river. The path may be wet and ruts are sometimes hidden by vegetation. You will reach the end of the path with a house below.
(13) The path widens, continue straight ahead. At the D27 (Route de Maubeuge), at the stop sign, cross carefully and continue straight ahead on the C2, Rue du Général de Gaulle. At the crossroads, go down to the left to the greenway.
(14) At the junction with the greenway, turn left to leave the main road. This route is reserved for soft mobility and is part of a vast network of dedicated routes for bicycles. You are now on EuroVelo 3, known as the Scandibérique, which links Trondheim in Norway to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. However, be careful at the various crossings with the roads. Cross two roads and you will arrive at the D962.
(15) Cross carefully and continue straight ahead. Pass Solre-le-Château. Cross another road to reach the D104.
(16) Cross with caution and continue straight ahead. Keep going to cross a forest, then the access road to La Perrière and L'Helpe Majeure. You will arrive at the D133 in Lessies.
(17) Leave the Voie Verte and take the D133 on the left to reach the village centre. At the end, turn left onto the D963, Rue du Maréchal Foch, towards Val Joly. Continue along Rue Roger Salengro, pass Helpe Majeure and arrive at No. 31.
(18) Turn right (Rue de l'Helpe) then continue left along Rue des Beaux Monts, then left at the three-way junction and straight on. The street climbs up to Route du Val Joly (D133).
(19) Cross carefully and continue along Rue des Beaux Monts. Continue until you reach the fork with a blue stone oratory and Chemin des Wattinettes.
(20) Turn left and at the end, continue along this road. The route enters the woods. Ignore the first path on the left and at the barrier, enter a private area and follow the paths. Turn right and climb left onto the Renard trail via a wide path. At the end of the straight section, the path turns and descends to the right. Take care in wet weather. At the end of the descent, you will come to a fork.
(21) Turn left and leave the woods and private property via a stone path. At the junction of the path and Rue de Beumont, continue straight ahead along the hedgerow fields. Turn onto the first dirt track and head for the entrance to a farm (Rue Camberlin).
(22) Turn left and walk alongside the buildings on your right. The path descends and runs alongside the back of the Val Joly campsite. Pass under a footbridge and you will arrive at a small lake. Turn right and join the Route du Val Joly (D133).
(23) Cross carefully via the cycle path, then turn left to return to the starting point, passing the water sports centre, taking the footbridge and the upper path reserved for cyclists. Please be courteous and adjust your speed to that of the pedestrians sharing the path (S/E).