Saint-Hubert (Belgique) walks

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.

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.

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.

The children in the group will love it… some of the adults, perhaps a little less so: around km 1, the GR®17 follows a barely visible path through mature forests, young spruce trees, young birch trees, broom and also a few brambles. It’s quite refreshing with the morning dew or after a good downpour!

This mainly woodland walk takes the walker from the centre of Poix-Saint-Hubert to the outskirts of Hatrival, where the route passes by the Écurie des Îles (a horse breeding and trading centre) before branching off into the woods again. There isa short stretch through fairly wild, overgrown terrain in the Bois de Poix around the 1 km mark. Shortly after the 7.5 km mark, the route literally plunges down the eastern slope of the Lomme (still known as L’Homme in some places) and passes under the Brussels–Luxembourg railway line. After a steep climb of a few hundred metres, the walk turns right to head back down towards the station and the starting point, passing by the village school.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Set off to explore the vast forest of Saint-Hubert from Mirwart, taking a more open route through the rural hills of Arville. On the return journey, the route follows the meandering course of the River Lomme and its numerous passages under the railway line before climbing up the avenue leading to Mirwart Castle, which was splendidly renovated at the start ofthe 21st centuryand transformed into a hotel, restaurant and venue for receptions, seminars and outdoor events.

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.