Spontin and the Bocq Valley

This walk takes place in the Bocq valley between Spontin and Purnode. It takes you through woods and countryside to the villages of Durnal and Dorinne. Views of the river, the forest and the hills, now increasingly 'decorated' with wind turbines.

Details

3222202
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.39 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 252 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 247 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 289 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 162 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking at the end of the cul-de-sac between the vet's and the grocery store on the Dinant to Spontin road.

No markings

(S/E) With your back to the road, head towards the woods. At the entrance, turn right; you will return via the path opposite. At the fork, go left.

(1) At the next fork, go up to the left. At the dirt track, turn right and then left at the road. Go up the road carefully. Stay on the main road heading right towards Durnal. Cross the railway line.

(2) At the intersection, turn left towards Durnal. After the bend, turn left onto the forest path, going around the barrier. At the corner of the field, turn right. At the road, cross and continue straight ahead on the path just behind the campsite and go uphill. At the top, turn left onto the road and go downhill to Durnal.

(3) Turn left at the hairpin bend in the road. After the house, the road turns into a grassy path. Come out onto another road, cross it and continue straight ahead on the Pré Toinette farm track.

(4) At the road, turn left. In the bend, continue straight ahead along the farm track. Enter the forest and, during the descent, pass the remains of the Chansin quarry buildings.

(5) At the road, go straight ahead along the path, cutting across the bend. Join the road further down and continue to the right. Cross over the River Le Bocq (the old Chansin railway station is on your left). Go up to the right, cross over the railway line and continue on your right. At the bend in the road, turn right into the large car park and join the path at the far end. Walk to the fork.

GR® trail markers

(6) Turn right and then ignore the path on your right.

(7) At the next fork, continue to the right. Walk along the main path for 1 km until you reach a track.

(8) Go up to the left and ignore the bridge.

No markings

Stay on the main path for 500 m until you reach a crossroads.

(9) At the crossroads, turn left. The path becomes narrow for a while. Leave the forest and turn right between the two meadows. At the road, turn right, enter Dorinne and climb up to the crossroads.

(10) At the crossroads, turn left and walk for 600 m, ignoring the road on your left.

(11) At the farm track on your left, turn and then continue to the right. Walk along the forest, then continue between the two fields. Continue along the path between the fence and the woods. At the forest track, turn left.

(12) At the end of the field fence, turn right onto the path. Go downhill and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 195 m - Car park between the vet's and the mini-market
  2. 1 : km 0.59 - alt. 189 m - Go up to the left at the fork
  3. 2 : km 1.48 - alt. 213 m - Turn left towards Durnal
  4. 3 : km 3.27 - alt. 266 m - Left at the hairpin bend
  5. 4 : km 3.9 - alt. 242 m - At the road on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.71 - alt. 183 m - Path opposite - Cross the - Bocq (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 5.53 - alt. 186 m - At the fork, turn right
  8. 7 : km 5.81 - alt. 163 m - At the fork, turn right
  9. 8 : km 6.81 - alt. 179 m - Ascent on the left
  10. 9 : km 7.36 - alt. 237 m - Crossroads on the left
  11. 10 : km 9.04 - alt. 278 m - At the crossroads, turn left
  12. 11 : km 9.66 - alt. 271 m - At the farm track on the left
  13. 12 : km 10.9 - alt. 245 m - At the end of the fence on the right
  14. S/E : km 11.39 - alt. 195 m - Car park between the vet's and the mini-market

Notes

1/3 of the route is paved, spread over 11 km
From October to December, bear in mind the hunting season
Partly exposed
No water on the direct route: water available at Durnal cemetery (tap) by taking (4) the Rue Saint-François road then turning left onto Rue d'Al Vozalle.

Worth a visit

Nearby
Spontin Castle: Today, it is no longer inhabited and, as it is undergoing restoration, it is no longer open to visitors. However, it can be admired from the park and the playground. It is a perfect example of a lowland castle, protected by superb moats.

Bocq Railway: The conversion of the old 128 railway line into a tourist line from Ciney now connects the capital of the Condroz to Purnode, and perhaps one day to Yvoir. During the summer months, tourist railcars allow visitors to discover this wild and rugged valley, alternating between engineering structures, wooded valleys, escarpments and old quarries. It is possible to board at Spontin station. On certain weekends, mainly the weekend of 15 August, old steam locomotives puff their smoke through the valley as they did in the past, much to the delight of nostalgic travellers.
For timetables, see the website www.cfbocq.be

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 20 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Inaya
Inaya

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, easy walk through the woods and across valley tops. Very few roads, and when there are, they are just a few hundred metres of traffic-free lanes. You walk for a long time to the sound of the river, and my dog loved going for a swim. Thank you to the author for this lovely discovery

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User 10780744

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

There are only a few hundred metres of tarmac on this route: quite an achievement for a village like Spontin.
Well done, really!!!

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Marie et Pierre Mangez
Marie et Pierre Mangez

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, completed in 3 hours and 49 minutes. Our only regret was not having our walking sticks with us, as there were two or three steep sections.
Thank you for this well-written description.

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Nini-Didi
Nini-Didi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this beautiful hike. Despite the autumn weather, the paths were passable. Before the old Dorinne-Durnal station, there is a fairly "technical" section (high steps), but it is possible to bypass it by taking the road. There is a small section on the road, but we only encountered three cars.
Thank you
Didier

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Marc Vi
Marc Vi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike, mostly through forest.
Passes through pretty villages and offers beautiful views.
Some paths are muddy due to recent rainfall but remain passable.

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michmeux
michmeux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent walk with superb views. You pass through woods, villages and meadows, following the Bocq river with its gentle sound, which is extremely pleasant and allows you to relax and recharge your batteries.
I ate at the edge of a wood in the company of beautiful brown cows, a truly blissful moment.
I will happily do it again in the spring to see the difference in the landscape.
Thank you for this beautiful route.

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Andrée-Marie
Andrée-Marie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Impeccable description. Magnificent route in a varied, very pleasant and uncrowded environment.
The app is brilliant! No way to go wrong. I recommend it 😊

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ArinaTomberg
ArinaTomberg

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful, peaceful and relaxing walk, especially on a beautiful sunny day like today.

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marcheur56
marcheur56

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

A lovely walk that began in the sunshine with a gentle breeze.
A very pleasant start to the route along the Bocq
Point 3: the Pré Toinette is covered in gravel and therefore very passable.
Point 6: at the old Dorinne-Durnal station, blue stone picnic benches and tables have been installed since February 2022 by the owner of the old station.

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HARDIV
HARDIV

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk.
The paths are muddy, but not impassable.
The ideal time to do this circuit is when the railway is operating.

Thank you for the route

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Thank you, I'll look into that.
It looks like they're paving the road to build a housing estate...

All the best

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Mac Patoch
Mac Patoch

Hello Carla,
Yes, the roadworks are along the entire length of the road.
I think they're building a new road, and it will probably take several months. There's a detour through the village; I know there are paths that go between the houses. That would allow you to keep pretty much the same route and enjoy the charm of the walk.

See you soon

Annabelle and Patrice

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lazzerini
lazzerini

Hello Annabelle and Patrice,

thank you for the information about the work on Chemin Pré Toinette.
Is it major work that will take a long time and cover the entire length of the road, or just a small section?
Based on what you've seen, should I write a diversion?

Please let me know what you have experienced.

I look forward to hearing from you on another hike

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Mac Patoch
Mac Patoch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this hike. We really enjoyed the route and had no difficulty understanding the description and the terrain we encountered. We didn't find that there were many roads (less than 2 km). At point 3, there is roadwork and the Pré Toinette farm track is impassable. We had to walk alongside it through the meadow.

We look forward to seeing you again

Annabelle and Patrice

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etx61
etx61

Hello Carla,

The main confusion is at point 6. You just need to take the path on the right, going down towards the river.
Yes, I have the app, but I only use it in case of serious problems. I am and always will be a fan of maps (a habit from my time in the Alps), which are reliable and don't run out of battery.

When it comes to water, it's also a habit from the mountains (there are no pubs) where you locate real water sources.

Generally speaking, for water in the countryside or medium-altitude areas, churches and cemeteries are public water sources and therefore regulated.

Best regards,

Eric

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