The grand tour of Mirwart

Glacière, ponds, arboretum, Croix des Bûcherons, but also Croix des Morts, La Lomme, Rocher de Marie Gobaille. Let's set off on the grand tour of Mirwart.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.96 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 331 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 322 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 412 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 259 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking at the side of the road, along the Mirwart church.
With your back to the church, you will see Mirwart Castle.

(S/E) Facing the church entrance, take the road on the left.

(1) At the fork further on, turn left. Walk downhill until you come to a wide grassy path on your left.

(2) Turn onto this path, which becomes a trail. Continue for 1.4 km, using the trail with the bridges at one point. Here and there, you will find small information panels about the trees you encounter.

(3) At the fork, continue to the right until you reach the road.

(4) Cross over and take the path opposite. Ignore the path going up to your left and the path to your right, and go down towards the back of the old mill. Walk along La Lomme and you will come to the road, with Pont Madame on your right.

(5) Cross the road and continue straight ahead. At the fork, go down to the right, cross the Lomme and walk along the Étang Saint Roch.

(6) On your right, take the footbridge to see the old ice house, which has become a refuge for bats. Then continue climbing up to the road. Turn left, cross the bridge over the railway and turn left onto the wide path a little further on. Then pass under a railway bridge.

(7) Take the footbridge over the Lomme to see the Marie Gobaille rock. Retrace your steps and continue along the path. Pass under another railway bridge. Continue along the Lomme. Climb the path to the pond and walk along it to the end.

(8) Take the path downhill on your left, keeping an eye out for the green rectangle markings as this path is new and not yet clearly marked on the ground. Cross the pontoon and climb up until you reach a wide forest path, which you follow to the right. A path joins you on your left; continue along it. Further on, walk along a meadow with an agility course for dogs. Turn left.

(9) Then turn right at the hairpin bend.

(10) Keep to the right at the intersection. Further on, the path turns sharply to the left and leads to the road. Follow it to the right for a few metres and immediately turn left onto the wide forest path. Go around the barrier and you will find the Biolin picnic area. Continue to the right. Ignore the paths on either side of the main path. At a crossroads, continue straight ahead.

(11) At the crossroads with a fence surrounding a clear-cut area opposite, turn left. Follow the fence on your right, passing the Croix aux Morts (Cross of the Dead). Continue straight ahead.

(12) Viewpoint overlooking Mirwart Castle. Descend to the wide path.

(13) At the bottom, turn right and walk alongside the fish ponds on your left. Ignore the road coming from your right and continue straight ahead.

(14) Go under the railway bridge and turn right immediately afterwards. Take the path (shown on OSM but not on IGN) alongside the "holiday camp" and take the path going up into the woods. At the top, continue to the right until you reach the road.

(5) Turn right and cross the Pont Madame bridge. Walk along the road for a short while and immediately turn left onto the first path. Descend to the Étang Saint Roch pond, passing the Glacière ice house on your way.

(6) Cross the footbridge and continue on the right along the path running alongside the pond. At the road, turn right, then left. Keep left and walk alongside the Ru Parfonry for a short while.

(15) Take the steep path on your left towards Tier à Bruyère (alternative: see practical information). After climbing 700 metres, turn left. Stay on the main path for 1,100 metres, ignoring the side paths, and pass the Croix des Bûcherons. Go through a gate and close it behind you.

(16) At the road, turn left and return to the car park (with a distant view of Mirwart Castle) (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 324 m - Car park at the side of the road - Église Saint-Roch (Mirwat)
  2. 1 : km 0.31 - alt. 321 m - Fork
  3. 2 : km 1.12 - alt. 264 m - Grassy path
  4. 3 : km 2.56 - alt. 282 m - Turn right at the fork
  5. 4 : km 3.05 - alt. 271 m - Path opposite
  6. 5 : km 3.62 - alt. 277 m - Crossing the road
  7. 6 : km 4.49 - alt. 268 m - Footbridge - Étangs Saint-Roch
  8. 7 : km 6.54 - alt. 285 m - Rocher Marie Gobaille footbridge - Lomme (rivière) - Belgique
  9. 8 : km 8.03 - alt. 332 m - Pond on the left
  10. 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 366 m - Hairpin bend
  11. 10 : km 9.13 - alt. 365 m - Intersection
  12. 11 : km 10.94 - alt. 407 m - Fence on the left
  13. 12 : km 11.38 - alt. 392 m - Viewpoint of the castle
  14. 13 : km 12.21 - alt. 266 m - Road
  15. 14 : km 12.39 - alt. 262 m - Turn right after the bridge
  16. 15 : km 14 - alt. 286 m - Steep climb on the left
  17. 16 : km 15.71 - alt. 348 m - Road
  18. S/E : km 15.96 - alt. 325 m - Car park - Église Saint-Roch (Mirwat)

Notes

The route had to be changed at (14) because the footbridge near the pond and closest to La Lhomme was washed away by the floods in July 2021 and has still not been replaced (July 2022).
At (15): if the climb scares you, follow the stream for a little while longer and then take the first path on your left.
No possibility of eating or drinking.
Quite muddy in places, so wear sturdy shoes.
Picnic area with shelter at Biolin after (10), bench at Croix des Bûcherons along the 1100m after the climb from (15)
The route on Oppenstreetmap is inconsistent in certain places with regard to the La Lomme passage compared to the IGN map, which is more accurate. Please take this into account.

Would you prefer a shorter route?

Worth a visit

Arboretum on the Chemin des Sangliers: the path takes you through various stands of deciduous and coniferous trees. This trail is frequented by wild boars at night. You will find many clues: footprints, wallows where the boars cover themselves with mud, trees with bark worn away by the rubbing of their tough flanks.

Madame Bridge: the bridge preserves the memory of a chatelaine who is said to have been particularly attentive to the miseries, large and small, of her fellow citizens.

Étang Saint Roch: In the summer, the Saint-Roch ponds are adorned with the warm pink of the aquatic knotweed, Polygonum amphibium. The Mirwart Estate is rich in aquatic plant species, some native, such as duckweed, pondweed, etc., and others invasive, such as Canadian waterweed.

Ice house: This small structure with a door hides an old-fashioned freezer, dug around 1860! In this vast 80 m³ cavity, ice cut from the nearby Saint-Roch Pond was once stored. Thanks to various tricks (careful mineral insulation, a triple door forming a north-facing airlock, protection from shade, etc.), the ice was preserved for a long time. The lords of the manor and villagers were able to use it all year round for various purposes, primarily for preserving food. Nowadays, pipistrelle bats use the ice house for hibernation.

Rocher Marie Gobaille: Marie Gobaille, half-witch, half-horse, was condemned to be burned like all witches during the Inquisition. The witch often retreated to this hill, near the black waters. She transformed herself into a horse and took malicious pleasure in spreading terror among the inhabitants of Smuid and Mirwart. One evening, the mayor of Arville decided to organise an expedition with the inhabitants of Mirwart armed with sticks and the inhabitants of Smuid with their wolves on leashes.
They found Marie Gobaille in the forest, chased her to get rid of her once and for all, and cut off her head with a scythe. Victorious, they paraded her head on a stake through the village of Mirwart. Since then, the inhabitants of Mirwart have called themselves tiès di chfaut (horse heads) and the inhabitants of Smuid les leus (wolves).

Biolin picnic area

Cross of the Dead

Pré Meunier pond

"Tier à bruyère" (heathland), a name that preserves the memory of the ancient moors where cattle, sheep and goats in particular were grazed.

Croix des Bûcherons: The cross known as "Croix des Bûcherons" commemorates the death of two woodcutters who were crushed under their hut when a tree fell on it. At that time, woodcutters would go into the forest for several days and build small huts to spend the night in.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
lazzerini
lazzerini

Hello,

I don't like going back and forth on the same stretch either, but following the floods in 2021 and 2023, the footbridge along the Ourthe and under the railway has not been replaced.
I'll make a note to go back and check... you never know...
Best regards

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User 10780744

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route is almost a must in the Ardennes forest. What's more, there is virtually no tarmac.
However, I regret the duplication between points 4 and 6 (14 and 15).

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Dunbar
Dunbar

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The end is difficult but interesting. I encountered two deer on the small path that climbs quite steeply.

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BerCo
BerCo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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Franquin
Franquin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk. The footbridge at point 7 to see the Marie Gobaille rock has been destroyed, but that didn't detract from the charm of the circuit. Worth doing if you're in the area.

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ArinaTomberg
ArinaTomberg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We really enjoyed this magnificent walk, dotted with numerous points of interest. It was very quiet, even on a sunny Sunday like today, we met few people. Only around the fish ponds were there people. In addition to the picnic area after point 10, there are several benches along the way where you can rest and admire the beautiful scenery. Several footbridges allow you to cross the streams. Unfortunately, the bridge at point 7 still does not exist, making it impossible to cross the Lomme and access the viewpoint on the Rocher de Marie Gobaille. Work is still ongoing around point 7, but on Sunday, everything was quiet. The trail after point 15 is very picturesque and relatively easy. It would be a shame to miss it given its beauty. In some places, where streams cross the trail, it is very muddy.

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michmeux
michmeux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk despite the gloomy and foggy weather. I wasn't able to enjoy the view of the castle at point 12, but that's just a postponement.
I set off late, so I hardly saw anyone. It was just me and nature, pure bliss.

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TABURIAUX j c
TABURIAUX j c

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very good
recommended

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Cath Vdw
Cath Vdw

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magical! This was the second time I had attempted this loop. It is superb.
The only downside is that I can't wait for them to finish the work on the railway tracks.
I followed the GPX track, so I can't comment on the route description.
I highly recommend this hike.
Many thanks for the track

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Hello Tango05/04,

reading your message, I realise that I made the change concerning this footbridge in the short version of the "Essential Mirwart" loop, but not for this one!

Please do not put yourself in danger by crossing the tracks. I am adapting the route to make it safer.

Best regards

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Tango05/04
Tango05/04

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk, however, with the Infrabel works, I think after point 7, the footbridge under the bridge has simply been removed without any alternative being proposed.
So for the time being, it's better to do this walk at the weekend, given the large machines that must be noisy and create a lot of dust, and also because there is less rail traffic, which allows you to break the rules (cross the tracks) to find your way back!
But I will do it again very soon with great pleasure, on a Sunday of course!!!

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Claudio Di Vito
Claudio Di Vito

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk. Highly recommended.
Plenty of water along the route (streams and ponds).
Thank you for this route!
At point 14, there is no longer a footbridge (following the floods in July) to pass under the railway bridge.
No big deal, you can take the bridge at the fish farm and cross back at point 5.
I imagine the footbridge will be rebuilt soon.

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Thanks for the information.

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jacques.nys
jacques.nys

For everyone's information,
the severe flooding in July 2021 literally destroyed the Rocher de Marie Gobaille footbridge, which had been beautifully renovated less than a year ago: there is literally nothing left but debris, including the huge central beams.
Fortunately, a sponsor, INFRABEL, which manages the nearby railway infrastructure, has contributed significantly to the installation of a new footbridge (probably temporary) 350 metres upstream. Thank you to them.

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Marcatchou
Marcatchou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Beautiful route, very well described.

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