Stoumont walks

Amblève Valley This stage ofthe GRP® 571 starts in Stoumont, passes in front of Froidcourt Castle and crosses the Amblève in Cheneux. The route then descends towards the Coo waterfall, crosses the river again and reaches Trois-Ponts via the Belvédère de Ster.

Following the blue markings, starting from the church square, this route will take you to the highest point in the municipality of Stoumont. You will start with a climb, crossing the pretty hamlets of Roua and Monthouet. Along the way, you will discover the Croix Honnay, which is said to have been planted long ago by a traveller lost in the snow, and the Pyramide, a geodetic marker which, according to legend, was an observation post for Caesar's army. La Vecquée then opens up before you. This large, wide firebreak at the top of the slope is the ancient Roman road that the prince-bishops used in the Middle Ages to travel from Liège to Stavelot Abbey. A historic border between states, it still marks the boundary between Theux and Stoumont today. To descend, you will walk along the Pansîres nature reserve, cross woods and pastures, and come across the Cheval de pierre, a block of quartzite that looks like a lying horse.

Would you like to take a beautiful walk in the snow, far from the tourist trails that are overrun as soon as the first snowflakes fall? Then the Vecquée walk is the ideal hike for you. Near Stoumont, at an altitude of 500 metres, snow falls abundantly in this region of the province of Liège. A stone's throw from the Hautes Fagnes, less crowded yet just as beautiful, the Vecquée walk offers an idyllic setting for a winter stroll.

This walking route explores a large part of the area between the Roannay stream and the Vecquée ridge (Fagne de Malchamps), on the northern slope of the Roannay valleyIt quickly leaves La Gleize to skirt the former Borgoumont sanatorium, continues towards the hamlets of Cour and Andrimont, and turns back upon reaching Chevrouheid.The route rarely enters the woods at all. Very often it simply runs alongside them, offering numerous magnificent panoramic views of this wonderfully undulating region.Switching between paths and tracks, and always halfway up the hillside, it leads to a stone’s throw from the Amblève. One last climb and you arrive at the famous Tiger tank site and the ‘December 44’ museum on the small church square.A huge thank you to our friend Paolo who put together this lovely route for us.

This lovely circular route to the south of Trois-Ponts offers a pleasant way to explore the region, with just the right amount of hills for the scenery without being too taxing on the calves. It’s a curious region where a hamlet called Fosse is definitely situated high up!The section after the Hêtre du Berger is particularly attractive and interesting in spring (broom, orchids, etc.).Then, before Bergeval, the route once again offers a beautiful panoramic stretch over the region before heading towards the Croix des Hottlîs and descending towards the Sanctuaire de la Vierge des Pauvres.One last short climb and it’s the descent towards Trois-Ponts, where the route follows the pretty Bâleur stream and its pond before returning to the starting point.

The surroundings of Trois-Ponts and Coo are mainly forested, with paths and trails running through coniferous and deciduous trees. The rugged terrain highlights the panoramic views of the Ardennes and promises a sometimes very challenging route. In the heart of nature, the route connects with the site of Coo and its lower lake before returning to Trois-Ponts, again mainly through the woods.

La Salm Valley, whose real name is Le Glain This stage ofthe GRP®571leaves the Amblève Valley and heads up the slopes of the La Salm Valley, known as Le Glain. The route changes banks several times until it reaches Vielsalm in the Pays des Macralles.

A tributary of the Amblève and 3.5 km long, with an average gradient of 7.5%, the Ninglinspo is one of the few torrents in Belgium. Come and discover this valley, which was coveted by gold prospectors in the last century, and walk in a landscape worthy of the highest mountain rivers. With its waterfalls and "baths", the Ninglinspo will offer you an unforgettable moment of relaxation. As for the Chefna, less popular with tourists, it will take you away from it all with its wild side.

The Valley of Legends via Chefna and Ninglinspo. Between legend and torrent.Ideal for dogs, with plenty of water sources, rivers and streams.

The Ninglinspo is that Walloon stream described by some tourist organisations as ‘mountainous’ and which all Belgians and Dutch people rush to come and admire. So, yes, certainly, it is picturesque and as wild as you could wish for, with footbridges, waterfalls and glacial potholes known as the Baths of the Naiads, Diana, Hermes, the Otter, the Stag, etc... but frankly, there is nothing mountainous about it.Above all, go for a walk there during the week, as weekends, public holidays and school holidays are best avoided if you appreciate peace and nature.The second main point of interest is the arbour planted in themid-19th century on the edge of his Haut-Marais estate. Despite being partially destroyed—by more than 40%—after German tanks passed through in 1940, it remains the longest in Europe, still stretching for 573 metres.

Starting from the car park at Domaine de Bérinzenne, the hike begins by crossing the site before gradually entering the forest for just over a third of its total distance. This is followed by a few kilometres of countryside around the village of Creppe before rejoining the forest at the bottom of the Bois de Mambaye. After passing the castle of the same name, which has been converted into a nature education centre, the route quickly joins the Meyerbeer stream and follows it upstream to the Fontaine de Géronstère, one of the many springs in the spa town. Food and refreshments are available on site. Return through the forest and uphill to the starting point.

Whilst the two highlights of this walk are mentioned in the title, the rest of the route is through woodland and offers some fine views of the opposite slope and Mont des Brumes.Starting from the Domaine de Bérinzenne, the route heads due south, crosses the old Vecquée and descends towards Andrimont, where it turns eastwards to reach Chevrouheid and the Pont de Neuville over the Roannay stream.The walk follows the course of the Roannay for a good two kilometres, crossing numerous footbridges, and leaves it shortly before its source.This is followed by a bit of a winding route through a well-ventilated forest alternating between spruce and deciduous trees before reaching Malchamps.After the pylons, the route enters the Fagne de Malchamps via a path through the Vecquée covered with wooden decking to keep your feet dry. The Fagne landscape is guaranteed (moors, marshes, peat bogs, pools, shrubs and native flora) both from the path and from the top of the panoramic observation tower.

The Charmille du Haut-Marais, dating from the 19th century, is now listed by the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites.The arbour was built in 1855 by J.R. Nys, a rentier and owner of the estate. It is 573 metres long and consists of around 4,500 hornbeams planted on either side of a pedestrian walkway carved into a tunnel of vegetation, which was very popular at the time.

Like the Porallée, this circular hike is located between the villages of Remouchamps and La Reid. Sometimes in the heart of forests, often along cascading streams or among high marshes, this circular hike is full of peaceful places. It offers remarkable panoramic views, connected by sometimes very old paths, passing through Vieux Chera, Hautregard and Ménobu.

Starting from Spa railway station, you’ll take paths through the Staneux woods and the Lonhue woods, following the Grand-Chaxion and its beaver dams. Further on, you will see the Chène-de-Poleuhe and then the 11th-century Franchimont Castle. On your way back towards Spa, there is another remarkable tree, the Chène-de-la-Vierge, and you can then stop for a short break by the Chawion pond before returning to the station.

Starting from Spa station, we will make a circular tour through the Bois de Staneu, go to the Étang de Chawion and then return via Spaloumont.

Starting from Spa, a walk in the woods of Staneux will take you along the little Chawion, where you can see several beaver dams. Further on, the Chawion pond is a good place to take a short break.

Starting from Spa station, we will pass through the Queen’s House park, climb up to the heights of Marteau with a stop at the Renard viewpoint, then descend towards the village of Marteau. We’ll climb through the cool Rohaimont woods to the Col des Maquisards, where there’s a memorial stone in their honour. We will pass through Gros-Thier to cross Winamplache, climb up to the edge of Creppe and return towards Spa via the Mambaye woods

This stage ofthe GRP® 571 starts in Remouchamps, passes through Sedoz and Fonds de Quarreux close to the Amblève, follows the Chefna stream to the border of the Sources Nature Park and descends into the valley to finish in Stoumont.

The Ru du Grand Chawion is a very pleasant stream that flows north of Spa and is worth following upstream to its wildest parts. The return journey takes you through the beautiful woods of Staneux and a section ofthe GR®5.