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.

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.

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.

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.

Once upon a time, there was a railway line numbered 163 that linked Libramont to Gouvy via Bastogne. It is the small stretch of the Ardennes situated between Remience and Morhet, to the north of this disused railway line, that this walk invites you to discover.The alternation between forest and countryside provides the variety of experiences essential to any good walk.Although there are a few rather gloomy stretches of pine forest here and there, the walk ends with a splendid stretch of forest, as wild as you could wish for, around the 18 km mark.Architecture-wise: a small castle hidden in the woods near Morhet Station and the Chapel of Remience (where a touch of AI helps remove the countless power lines that spoil the photos).

Troufferies: a Walloon word meaning peat bogs, i.e. a place where peat is extracted. Peat was extracted in Libin from the Middle Ages until the 1930s. Come and stroll through a forest landscape of marshes, peat bogs, mud flats and moors... unusual in this part of the Ardennes.

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 you follow this circular route, discover the hidden gems of Neufchâteau and its villages: Keppler Mill, Étang de Bergh, Bois d'Ospau, the German mausoleum, the astronomical observatory, a replica of the Lourdes Grotto, the remains of an old slate quarry and, finally, the lake.

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.

English farmers proclaim “No farmer, no food” ... and they’re probably quite right.This circular Chester loop shows just how important agriculture and forestry are to the region.Here there are few horses in the meadows but almost exclusively calves, cows and sheep grazing, with the occasional cereal crop here and there, all interspersed with woodlands consisting mainly of oak, beech and spruce!The Ardennes of yesteryear? Undoubtedly... but what a joy it is to still be able to enjoy it!Just outside Grandvoir, the Bois des Bois estate has recently been completely renovated and is a haven for nature-friendly tourism.Pure bliss!

This circular walk follows the wide forest tracks through part of the future Nassonia National Park and the Deux-Ourthes Nature Park.Starting from the Sapin Fî car park, the walk first heads towards the Rouge Poncé birch forest and its boardwalks, then towards the Wallonia Log Park before branching off towards Mochamps, the Fagnes de Priesse observation tower and the Croix des Russes.After a long descent into the Rabani valley, the walk crosses the Masblette, the iconic river of Fourneau-Saint-Michel, via a small footbridge following the destruction of the two-arched stone bridge during the floods of summer 2021.On the return journey, the route climbs slowly but surely, following the Palogne stream back up to Sapin Fî.

Circular forest to discover the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, the Rocher Marie Gobaille and ending along the Lomme with its two 19th-century buildings, formerly hydroelectric power stations.

A walk through the woods of the Val de Poix. Suitable at any time of year: in summer for the cool air, in autumn for the colours, or in the snow for a peaceful atmosphere.

A few sculptures, a bit of a 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 beautiful village of Lavacherie, set off to explore the Chapelle de la Bonne Dame and the Cheslin viewpoint. On your way back, pass by the Golet campsite and through the village streets, where magnificent houses built from local stone come into view.

This hike takes you on a journey of discovery through the rural and forested Ardennes east of Bertrix, completely off the beaten track. Apart from the surroundings of the Herbeumont slate quarry and a few crossings of main roads and the Bertrix-Athus railway line, used mainly for freight transport, it is completely peaceful and surrounded by nature. Don't miss the two castles in Biourge... go and admire them from the driveway of the first and through the porch of the second.

From the village of Smuid (pronounced Smoui), discover the Étang des Moines and the remains of the Marsolle blast furnace.

Set off to explore the River La Basseille, a tributary of the Ourthe which rises in Saint-Hubert. The river, whose banks form a Nature Reserve, flows exclusively through the Forest of Freyr for around 10 km. Please note: there are two sections that are more difficult to follow; a GPX track is recommended.

This is a very easy route through one of Belgium's largest deciduous forests, on comfortable gravel paths and a little tarmac, but very secluded, completely away from 'civilisation'. It passes by the Étang de Bilaude bird observatory, which is superb in its moorland setting. In several places, beautiful benches carved from tree trunks invite you to rest and contemplate.

Walk in the Land of the Awenne Clog Makers. This slightly hilly route, mostly through forest, will take you past the Notre-Dame de Lourdes cave and the Ri Bellerose stream to the heights of the Prairies de Gimbes ridge, passing by the open views at a place called La Justice.

The Ruisseau de Basseille has its source in the Fagne de la Borne near the Saint-Hubert Aerodrome and flows into the western Ourthe near Ortheuville. This walk follows its course more or less closely for about 6 km.

A short walk through Bertrix, passing a restored former water tower, with views of Bertrix and the arboretum.

Glacière, ponds, arboretum, Croix des Bûcherons: circular around Mirwart Castle.

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.

Eaux & Forêts (Water & Forests): older people will certainly remember this former name of the Wallonia public service Direction Nature et Forêt (Nature and Forestry Department). The former name perfectly reflects the intrinsic characteristics of this long hike starting from the provincial estate of Mirwart, which takes you on a journey of discovery along the Lomme, the Parfond Ry and a few other nameless streams. Nothing but forest and aquatic bliss... especially when the rivers and streams are in flood! That said, the paths and trails in this region of the Belgian Ardennes are in much better condition in the middle of winter after heavy rains than in other regions such as Limburg or the Pays des Collines, to name but two. Of course, the ruts dug by forestry machinery during various felling or clearing operations do not always help to keep the paths in good condition for hiking. Hike without description to be followed with the Visorando app.

Route on one of the slopes of the Semois, from Bertrix to Cugnon, from the Château des Fées to the Point de Vue de La Mergire, from the Moulin de Cugnon to the Old Cemetery of Mortehan, returning via the old Bertrix-Herbeumont railway line, now the RAVeL and Route des Pierres qui Parlent.

Discover the Notre-Dame des Pauvres Chapel, whose stained-glass windows, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, allow light to penetrate under the arch sheltering the Virgin of Banneux. Beforehand, cross the Pont des Cloyes, a prime spot for observing herons, mallards, kingfishers and other birds of the Lomme.

Starting from the Chapel of Notre-Dame de la Salette, the walk begins in the countryside before entering the woodland, quickly reaching the Lomme stream, which it follows upstream for over 4 km to the provincial fish farm at Mirwart.The ponds stretch out one after the other along the course of the Marsault or Marsolle stream to the former site of the Marsolle blast furnace, which operated from 1536 to 1568 on behalf of the Lord of Mirwart.The route then zigzags through the forest for around 9 kilometres to reach the rural heights of Bure and return to the starting point.