Saint-Hubert (Belgique) walks

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Starting from Masbourg, the forest trails will take you halfway to the Fourneau Saint-Michel, an estate comprising the open-air museum of rural life in Wallonia and the Iron Museum, with a return trip through the heights of the Masblette valley.

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.

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.

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.

A walk starting from Tellin to discover the villages of Resteigne and Belvaux via the La Lesse valley and the Bois de Niau (woodland) where a hermit lived. There are still ruins of the hermitage of this former officer of Napoleon and heir to the Château de Resteigne (castle). On the way go past the Rocher à Pic viewpoint, the Belvaux chapel, the Hermitage, the Mill, the Castle and the old Resteigne quarry.

A pleasant hike through the hills and valleys of the Nassogne countryside and woods. It first takes you to the Chapel and Calvary of St-Léonard before descending towards the Masblette stream and the village of Masbourg. This is followed by a very steep climb up a very stony path on the agricultural plateau between Masbourg and Ambly. You may need a machete to approach Ambly, but the view on arrival is magnificent. The return to Nassogne is still a bit of a challenge for your calves, but you won't need a machete: the path is a little wider and properly cleared.

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.

An eight-shaped route to the legendary site of Rocher du Cuy, also known as Roche aux Nutons, and the Villance forest. Nutons are creatures from Belgian and Ardennes folklore, often described as small, skilful beings living in caves and near waterways.