The green and black heart of the Borinage in the Hauts-Pays Nature Reserve

Car park near the Tour du Lait Buré and the former residence of Fénélon, Bishop of Cambrai, on Rue Belle Maison in Paturages. There is no designated car park and, on busy days, you will need to park in the adjacent streets.

(S/E) Leave the Tour du Lait Buré on your right and enter the woods. Take the path on the left, which soon becomes a track. Join a wider path that runs along the edge of the woods. Pass the first, faintly marked track on your right, then a second one (closed to the public), and arrive at the next one.

(1) Turn right and enter the woods; continue straight on until you reach the tarmac-surfaced Allée de la Belle Maison, and follow it to the right. You’ll reach a crossroads of paths; continue straight on until the next path on the left.

(2) Follow it downhill towards a small stream at a T-junction.
Head uphill to the right until you reach a junction of five paths.

(3) Take the first one heading off to the left. There are several tracks; stay on the one running alongside the ravine on your left. Pass a path on your right, come to a wider track and join a tarmac lane.
Cross it and continue straight ahead towards the bottom of the valley. Stay on the main track and, as you approach the Ruisseau de Colfontaine, pass a path on your right. You’ll reach an imposing dam (given the size of the stream); cross it and reach a T-junction.

^GR® signposting

(4) Turn right onto the path which continues to descend, pass an uphill path on the left and, after a bend to the left, take the clearly marked ascent (25-metre climb) which runs alongside the Grand Bouillon d’En Haut slag heap. Pass two paths on the right and reach the edge of the woodland at the foot of a water tower.
Cross Rue du Maréchal Joffre (a concrete road) very carefully, and follow Allée du Bois de Saint-Ghislain diagonally as it enters the woods again, until you reach a junction with its attractive signposts.

End of^GR® signposting

(5) Continue left along Allée Degorge until you reach Rue du Maréchal Joffre again. Cross it
carefully and carry on straight ahead at the next junction. Continue, heading slightly downhill, passing a small path on the left (sign prohibiting horse riders), until you reach a crossroads of paths and turn right. You’ll return to Rue du Maréchal Joffre for a third time;cross itcarefully and follow the path straight ahead on the other side of the road. Carry on until you reach the descent towards the valley of the Jean Finet and Elwasmes streams. At the bottom, after a sharp bend to the left, take care not to miss the steep path on the left.

(6) Climb this path and, once at the top, continue along the narrow path which joins a wider track; follow this track downhill to the right. At the Elwasmes stream, reach the valley floor. Take the wide track to the left which climbs up the other side of the valley. Continue along this path, ignoring the tracks to the left and right, until you reach a junction.

^GR® signposting

(7) Continue climbing to the left to reach the Sauwartan site and its rare example of a concrete roller frame (known as a ‘saltire’ in France). Please note that the site is on private land; please respect the no-entry sign.

(8) Head back down to the fork.

(7) Turn left. Continue along the main track, ignoring a path that descends to the right, until you reach a wide track running alongside the woodland. Follow Rue Baille de Fer to the right to reach a secluded house.

End of^GR® signposting

(9) The path takes a sharp bend to the left; ignore a track leading off to the right and take the one that continues straight ahead and enters the woods. Here too, stay on the main track and ignore the paths to the right. You’ll reach a T-junction; turn right and begin the descent to a crossroads where numerous tracks intersect, some of which have been created by mountain bikes.

(10) Stay on the main track and continue the descent. All the paths lead to Rue de Robersart. Follow it to the left and reach Ruelle de la Rampe Anfouette on the right.

(11) Follow this lane, climbing 35 metres up a slope with a maximum gradient of 12 per cent. Take a moment to turn round and catch your breath, so you can enjoy the sweeping view towards Wasmes and its Protestant church. At the top, walk past a school and reach Rue du Maréchal Joffre. Follow this road to the right and stay on the right-hand pavement. At No. 261,cross theroad carefully and take a small uphill path on the left. At the top, head left and follow the path that runs along the side of the Grand Bouillon d’En Haut slag heap, joining Rue Bois l’Evêque; follow this to the right until you reach the woods at a crossroads.

(12) Continue straight ahead along the tarmac path and take the second path on the left (sign prohibiting horse riding). Pass two paths on your right and reach a five-way junction.

(13) Take the path on the left, reach another crossroads of paths and turn right. Follow this path to the edge of the woods and the Tour du Lait Buré, then on to the car park (S/E).

There are no drinking fountains along the route.
Picnic areas: at the entrance to the woods near the Tour du Lait Buré and along the Allée Belle Maison beyond (2).

The Sparkho Science Park in Frameries
The Van Gogh House in Wasmes and the Marcasse coal mine site.
Find out about the history of the bandit Moneuse.