The Waulsort water crossing

de fr

At the beginning of the 19th century, there were around ten water crossings on the Meuse between Givet and Namur. After the railway line between Givet and Dinant was opened in 1863, the water crossing – which was then in operation in both summer and winter – enabled the inhabitants of Falmagne and Falmignoul to cross the Meuse to catch the train at Waulsort.
The Waulsort water crossing is the only one still in operation, but only during the (good) tourist season.

Details

n°77436959
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
–
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.80 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,509 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,516 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 876 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 308 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

The Waulsort water ferry

Description of the walk

As the elevation chart shows, this walk takes you on a journey of discovery through the landscape on the back of a three-humped camel: up-down-up-down-up-down is the motto.
On the programme: pretty countryside, a few steep forest paths, beautiful views of the Meuse, the former Ermitage des Cascatelles near the point (11), originally built as a flour mill and then an oil mill, in ruins in 2020 and undergoing reconstruction in 2025, as well as the Romanesque abbey church (19) shortly before the finish.

It is impossible to do this walk as described outside the opening hours of the water passage (see practical information), but it is possible to take the path on the right at km 5.4 (4), quickly reach the Waulsort lock, then cross the Meuse via the island and the Waulsort dam and rejoin the original route at km 11.8 (12), thus shortening the walk by about 6 kilometres.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 331 ft - Church of Hastière-Lavaux
  2. 1 : mi 0.25 - alt. 495 ft - Power line
  3. 2 : mi 1.67 - alt. 623 ft - Crossroads
  4. 3 : mi 2.71 - alt. 614 ft - Camp
  5. 4 : mi 3.34 - alt. 351 ft - Alternative water crossing closed
  6. 5 : mi 3.63 - alt. 348 ft - Rue de Noizay
  7. 6 : mi 3.82 - alt. 322 ft - Water crossing - Meuse (fleuve)
  8. 7 : mi 4.71 - alt. 686 ft - Top of the hill
  9. 8 : mi 5.06 - alt. 764 ft - Crossroads
  10. 9 : mi 6.16 - alt. 850 ft - Entrance to the woods
  11. 10 : mi 6.38 - alt. 666 ft - Ranle stream
  12. 11 : mi 6.81 - alt. 469 ft - The Cascatelles
  13. 12 : mi 7.35 - alt. 312 ft - Waulsort dam
  14. 13 : mi 7.73 - alt. 492 ft - Pond
  15. 14 : mi 8.4 - alt. 774 ft - Fish farm
  16. 15 : mi 8.62 - alt. 787 ft - Blaimont
  17. 16 : mi 8.77 - alt. 781 ft - Blaimont Cemetery
  18. 17 : mi 9.52 - alt. 636 ft - N915
  19. 18 : mi 9.93 - alt. 617 ft - Les Spineuses
  20. 19 : mi 10.55 - alt. 335 ft - Romanesque Abbey Church of Hastière - Meuse (fleuve)
  21. S/E : mi 10.8 - alt. 331 ft - Church of Hastière-Lavaux

Notes

Please note: the ferryman is available every day from the beginning of April to the end of September from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as on weekends in October. Please check https://hastiere-tourisme.be

Other walks in the area

Walking Les Cascatelles starting from Hastière

Visorando Member
↔7.19 mi ↗+584 ft ↘-571 ft ◔3h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
This walk is one of the most charming in the area if you enjoy forest trails and rolling landscapes. The name ‘Cascatelles’ is well deserved: the route follows a stream that forms a series of small waterfalls, creating a cool and soothing atmosphere. It is a walk that alternates between shaded sections, gentle climbs and views over the Meuse valley. The Yellow Rectangle is easy to follow

Walking The Hermeton Valley from Hastière

Visorando Member
↔6.02 mi ↗+636 ft ↘-643 ft ◔3h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
This walk is one of the most beautiful and ‘natural’ in Hastière. It follows the Hermeton Valley, a steep-sided and well-preserved stream, surrounded by deep forests, moss-covered rocks and wetlands. It is a varied, peaceful and at times challenging walk, with several ascents and descents.

Walking The Pont d'Arcole Caves

Tourist office
↔3.03 mi ↗+440 ft ↘-440 ft ◔1h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
This hike takes you from the Meuse valley to the heights of the left bank and the village of Inzemont, initially following the course of the Feron, a small tributary of the Meuse. Along the way, you can visit the Pont d'Arcole caves, one of the many karst caves in the Upper Meuse region. The route also offers beautiful views of the valley.

Walking Along the Hermeton

Visorando Member
Le long de l'Hermeton
↔5.80 mi ↗+577 ft ↘-551 ft ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
Despite the first few kilometres being very easy, make no mistake, this walk still requires some stamina with a section featuring handrails along the Hermeton and the climb up the aptly named Tienne d'Enfer (Hell's Hill).

Walking The Hermeton Valley with a return via the Bois des Deux Fonds de Lays

Visorando Member
La vallée de l'Hermeton avec un retour par le bois des deux fonds de Lays
↔11.53 mi ↗+945 ft ↘-935 ft ◔6h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
Set off to explore the natural, wild and rugged surroundings of the Hermeton by following it upstream to the Moulin de Soulme. The return journey takes you along small country roads, forest paths and trails where you can admire the landscape of the Meuse valley and its farmland.

Walking Walk between the Meuse and Meuse rivers from Baimont

Visorando Member
Balade entre Meuse et Meuse depuis Baimont
↔9.55 mi ↗+1,385 ft ↘-1,391 ft ◔5h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Hastière (Province de Namur)
This beautiful, fairly challenging hike explores the Meuse on either side of the centre of Hastière, crossing the meander between Heer-Agimont and Waulsort twice. Whilst the higher sections are in the countryside, the rest of the route follows paths and, above all, forest trails where progress is not always easy. Only the banks of the Meuse and the area around the Quatre Chemins crossroads are flat. The two architectural gems are undoubtedly Waulsort Castle (a former abbey – with a splendid view from the top of the rock with the flag) and the former Ermitage des Cascatelles. The village of Waulsort has a few fine buildings on the left bank, dating (probably) from the late19th or early20th century .

Walking Tour along the rocks of the Meuse

Visorando Member
↔7.58 mi ↗+797 ft ↘-778 ft ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Dinant (Province de Namur)
A very beautiful tour along narrow paths, with beautiful views, steep slopes, high cliffs and lots of beautiful nature. Sturdy shoes are required, as well as a camera, as there are many photo opportunities. Have fun :)

Walking Circular route starting from Falmagne

Visorando Member
Boucle au départ de Falmagne
↔8.59 mi ↗+787 ft ↘-787 ft ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Dinant (Province de Namur)
This circular walk allows you to combine two of the Dinant region’s finest attractions: the Rocher de Freyr and the Chemin des Cascatelles.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.