The Upper Geer between Lens-Saint-Servais and Hollogne

Car park: On the square behind the church in Lens-Saint-Servais, Rue Communale 1–3, 4250 Geer (= Rue de Lens-Saint-Rémy).

(S/E) With your back to the church, take the second cul-de-sac on the left (after the two large lime trees) and follow the narrow path wedged between the entrance to a farm and the house. Follow it to the end. It leads onto a small side road (Rue Nestor Bajot); turn right here and follow it to the main road.

(1) Cross the main road diagonally and take the path opposite. The path soon joins the Geer and follows it for about a kilometre before meeting the A-road. 

(2) Turn left onto the main road, cross the Geer, then turn right back onto the path running alongside the stream (on its left bank). Follow it to the next street. The path comes out opposite No. 1 Rue Centre Bernadette.

(3) First turn right then left to join Rue des Peupliers. Follow it to the end and turn left onto Rue du Village. At the end of this street, it curves to the right and leads to a junction.

(4) Turn left into Rue Auguste Lambert and continue to Darion Church. Go round the church on the left (Ruelle Maquet) and, at the end, first turn right then left into Rue Jules Masy to leave the village towards the nature reserve, situated about 800 m away.

(5) Take the road on the right, follow the edge of the reserve for 400 m and enter it through the gate (information boards).

(6) Once inside the reserve, head up the path opposite, between the two ponds. Then turn right after the first pond, then left to go round the next pond. At the end of the pond, turn right to leave the reserve (gate).

(7) On leaving the nature reserve, turn immediately left and walk along the outside of the reserve. The path curves to the right and soon joins the Geer; follow its right bank until you reach a road.

(8) Turn right onto the road, cross the Geer and continue for a further hundred metres.

(9) Take the path on the left which leads to the left bank of the Geer. Follow the Geer for two kilometres (path then tarmac) crossing the two tarmac roads, until you finally reach Rue du Centre Bernadette.

(10) Turn right onto this street, then turn left into Rue Émile Lejeune. At the end, carry straight on along Rue Gérard Walkens (N657) to number 26.

(11) Take the concrete track on the right and follow it past meadows, fields and the edge of a wood until you reach the next houses. At the junction with Rue de Lens-Saint-Servais, carry straight on along Rue de la Chavée (concrete road) until you reach a concrete farm track.

(12) Turn left and follow this farm track which runs alongside the fields (on the right) and the edge of a woodland. Continue to the end, then carry on along the path which enters the woodland and emerges a little further on.

(13) Then turn left onto the farm track between the meadows. After about a hundred metres, once you have crossed the Geer, it joins another track; turn left here again. This track passes through the woodland, then follows the edge of the woodland before returning to Rue de Lens-Saint-Rémy, which you should follow to the left to reach the car park (S/E).

Please note: the section between the reserve’s exit (7) and the banks of the Geer may be flooded during very wet periods (warning signs with radar barriers), requiring a detour via the village of Hollogne. To do this, turn right as you leave the nature reserve to join Rue du Centre, which you follow to the left for just under a kilometre, then turn left into Rue du Manil and, shortly after number 10, you will reach point (9) and take the footpath leading to the Geer.

The return route to the village of Lens-Saint-Servais after the waypoint (13) can be very muddy: make sure you wear suitable footwear!

Picnic spot (with barbecue) shortly after point (1). Covered picnic table along the Geer, halfway between points (9) and (10) (see photo).

Haut-Geer Nature Reserve (6) 

Hexapoda Insectarium in Grand-Axhe (www.hexapoda.uliege.be)