Libramont-Chevigny walks

The Ardennes is, of course, all about the forest. But it’s also about the countryside!The traditional image needs to be slightly nuanced, and the circular route presented here is a fine example: half countryside, half forest, the route offers a wonderful variety of landscapes and passes through forests of various species, alternating between deciduous and coniferous trees.The Belgian icing on the cake: a few signs placed on either side of the starting point remind us that Belgium is the birthplace of the comic strip.

This unpretentious walk allows you to wander around the villages of Freux and Bras, through pastures and along country roads. The walk starts in front of Freux church, where there is a large car park.

Is the walk awful? Not at all! The route winds through the countryside and forests of north-eastern Libramont. And when the magic of winter appears, it can take many forms! Even when there is no snow! Frosty fog can adorn the vegetation with a magnificent display. Another completely different natural phenomenon is the formation of white filamentous ice on dead branches caused by a fungus that releases water which freezes in the form of silky filaments. In summer, the atmosphere is inevitably different... and so are the landscapes! You are unlikely to have the chance to observe a stray deer in the middle of the meadows near the ponds of Château de Freux for long.

Several series of ponds strung together like a string of pearls stretch between Freux, Bougnimont and Séviscourt. The hike takes you to those near the magnificent Freux-Suzerain castle. The others are even more hidden away at the bottom of vast private estates. For the rest, this hike is rather rural on the north side and very wooded on the south side. The end of the wooded section crosses the pretty marshy area of Golo.

Set off to explore the native region of the Western Ourthe. This rural walk is offered as a short version of the long, signposted “Voie Saint-Antoine” route.A blanket of snow and overcast skies were the conditions for this hike undertaken on 1 January 2021.Much enjoyed... and also much appreciated that it wasn’t any longer, as making our way through 30 to 40 cm of snow to clear certain paths isn’t as easy as it looks: wet feet and trousers up to the knees, despite suitable kit, didn’t discourage us.Definitely one to repeat in other seasons and under different weather conditions.

We’ll explore the Libramont countryside via country roads, farm tracks and forest paths.

This is the perfect walk if you want to enjoy the snow, when there is any, whilst travelling by train.The walk starts and finishes at Libramont station, in the Ardennes.This 8 km walk presents no major difficulties; its sole purpose is to take your mind off things without the hassle of a car.

This Ardennes circular route offers beautiful scenery across the rolling countryside around Laneuville and Remience and passes through open forests with a variety of tree species typical of the region.Magnificent in spring, the colours of nature are just as splendid in autumn... and what can one say when nature is covered in a pristine blanket of snow in winter.A few ponds and beaver dams add a pleasant touch to the route.Completely off the beaten track, the likelihood of meeting anyone is very low: we only came across one person loading logs onto his lorry and a farmer repairing the fences around his pastures.Consequently, there are very few benches and not a single picnic table along the entire route. There are no shops either: don’t set off without bringing at least some food and drink.

Those who love nature and solitude will be in their element: it is possible not to encounter a single hiker on this circular route, which is half countryside and half woodland, even on a fine summer’s day. You may come across some roe deer.

Set off to explore Banibois, in the heart of the woods crossed by the stream of the same name. This walk will take you through hundred-year-old oak trees, majestic beech trees and spruce plantations. You will also enjoy vast meadows on the edge of the woods.

A lovely walk through woods and meadows, via the Ardennes villages of Tronquoy, Respelt and Bernimont.The route consists mainly of pine forests and cattle pastures.

Mainly through woodland, this walk partly follows the “Sentier entre Lesse et Lomme” as well as the route of the old local road linking Poix-Saint-Hubert to Libin. The route passes by the former kaolin quarry (picnic area, pond and a fun children’s trail based on the enchanting theme of the ‘nutons’) and runs alongside numerous Christmas tree nurseries in the rural section on the western side.

Hatrival seems to have adopted the crows as its emblem... why not!We didn’t spot any more or fewer than elsewhere, but it is indeed the town’s emblem that stands at the village entrance and adorns one or two of the local lodges.After skirting a huge stud farm, the walk heads into the forest for a few kilometres before reaching the hamlet of Pont de Libin and following the railway line.A long climb through the forest follows to reach the heights of the Carrière du Petit Bois.There’s a superb view of the quarry, but take care as the path running alongside it tends to crumble and the site’s safety fence is partially hanging over the drop!The walk then gradually leaves the forest to cross the N89 and reach the village of Bras-Haut and the surrounding countryside.Take care when crossing the N89 (see note in ‘Practical Information’ below), where the route joins the forest paths leading to the entrance to Hatrival.

Starting from the hamlet of Beauplateau and the former convent built in 1880, set off to discover the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Lorette via covered and uncovered trails, roads and dirt tracks.

With beautiful panoramic views over the delightfully undulating countryside, this walk starting from the hamlet of Beauplateau is sure to delight many. Cow pastures dominate the landscape: there are few crops and no real woodland sections, although you do skirt round the odd copse here and there… and are sometimes in for a lovely surprise. Those who dislike tarmac, however, might want to give this a miss, even though the many small country roads taken aren’t particularly busy. The church at Tillet, with its freestanding bell tower, is well worth a visit.

The Agaric walk, adapted here, offers a wide variety of landscapes along the route: sometimes wooded with scrub, sometimes with deciduous trees, and often open, with beautiful panoramic views of the neighbouring rolling countryside.

The walk begins in an orchard with heritage fruit varieties and an apiary, before following a sunken path that descends to the bottom of the Laval Valley. Beavers, ponds, artistic installations... so many discoveries await you.

As a result, the walk is more rural than wooded, offering more panoramic views of this beautiful region. Whilst the natural scenery is lovely, don’t expect too many architectural or artistic highlights: there are a few works of art along the old country lane between Amberloup and Lavacherie, the Saint-Hubert Chapel in Bonnerue and the Church of Saint-Ouen in Tillet with its separate bell tower, but that’s about it.

This beautiful hike in Sainte-Ode takes you on a journey of discovery through the valleys of the Ourthe, Baseille and Laval streams, alternating between forest and pretty panoramic views of this region of the Ardennes, with a return trip through the Orti Nature Reserve.

Starting from Arville cemetery, the walk heads due north at first, then turns west to reach the Chapelle du Cheny du Mont.The second stop is the Rocher de Marie Gobaille, named after a legendary witch. It is from this point that the route begins to follow the course of the River Lomme upstream.The third stop is the Sainte-Adeline Canal, running alongside the River Lomme, with its small hydroelectric power station and, further on, the old mill at Pont-à-Smuid.This is followed by a short detour to the other side of the Brussels–Luxembourg railway line to follow the route of an old local track, and a return to the starting point after crossing both the River Lomme and the railway line once more and skirting the motocross route near the Ferme du Val-de-Poix.The entire route runs through woodland from the second kilometre onwards.

A few sculptures, a bit of nature reserve with the occasional sign of beavers here and there, and a bit of countryside: that’s what this walk has to offer.

From the small car park at the back of the Arville barbecue area (at the end of Rue de la Supinette), the walk heads through the countryside towards the Lozet Biai pond. At Le Paradis, the route enters the woods and remains there almost all the way to the finish.Wide paths or narrow tracks, stony, muddy, grassy and even a bit soggy in places, are the main features of this route. Only 600 metres of tarmac at the start and a 200-metre break about a third of the way along the route allow you to keep your boots reasonably dry… you can wipe your boots clean when crossing a few small fords further on, but recent forestry work will almost certainly quickly undo any cleaning efforts.Apart from the ever-present forest, walkers pass by the Halifax memorial as well as the Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours Chapel, also known as the Chapelle du Cheny du Mont, where there is a bench.On the way back, there’s a lovely view on the horizon of the outskirts of Arville.