A tour of the land of witches

Here is the route for a beautiful walk around Ellezelles (Picardy Wallonia). This circuit will take you to the heights of this locality, renowned for being a hotbed of witches. Capital of the Pays des Collines, it is particularly attractive to walkers for the quality of its paths and trails and its landscapes.The hike is located west of Ellezelles and passes through farmland. Please note that the witches and works of art are not on this circuit, but on the Sentier de l'étrange (Path of Strangeness), which follows another route marked with this name, east of Ellezelles

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.22 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 76 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 80 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 117 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 46 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts and ends at Ellezelles square, which has a large car park.

(S/E) Opposite the church, cross the square and follow the yellow and red markings of the Tour du Hainaut occidental or Wallonie picarde. It runs along the right-hand side of the church, then turns right and left, going around the Pays des Collines Nature Park visitor centre. At the next T-junction, turn right again, then left along a local school. A few steps lead to a lane, which you follow to the left until you reach the corner of a street. Still following the GRP®, continue to the right.

At the next crossroads, leave the GRP®, which turns right. Turn left into a narrow lane that continues along a path through the countryside. It crosses the Gogan stream, soon curves to the left and leads to a street.

(1) Take this street to the right. Ignore a country lane on your left, but at the next Y-junction, take the left branch towards the Quintine brewery: this brewery takes its name from the last witch, Quintine Dele Clisserie, who was burned at Ellezelles in 1610. Leaving the road, go straight ahead, walk past the brewery and take a path that climbs up the hillside and joins the RAVeL (the former L87 railway line that linked Lessines to Renaix).

(2) Take this disused railway line to the left. It is a slow, scenic route overlooking Ellezelles.
Cross a road and continue on your leisurely way until you reach a fork.

(3) To the right, marked with red-painted wooden beams, climb this slope, then cross the bridge over the RAVeL. Follow the small street to the right. You will soon reach a road, which you should also follow to the right. When it curves to the left, climb straight up a path that rejoins the road. Go down it to the left, then leave it at the nearby bend and turn right to follow a narrow street. It soon continues along a rustic path that climbs into the countryside, offering a wide view.

(4) Just before reaching a road, turn left onto a path. Follow the red and white markings of the GR® 129 (Renaix - Dinant). This will guide you for a short while. The path gradually slopes down until it joins the RAVeL and its disused railway line, which you take to the right. If you don't like the surface, you can take the path that runs alongside it on the left.

Pass the first exit on the left. But, also on the left, soon climb the stairs that go up the embankment and lead to a farm. On the right, the small road joins another larger one. Follow it to the right to cross a bridge.

(5) On the left, go down a slope with wide steps. It joins the extension of the disused railway line. Follow it to some barriers at a crossroads. Leave the old railway line and climb up to the left. The rustic path leads you to a fork, near a gable with a monumental Christ.

(6) Continue to the right. At an opulent farm, ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead. You will soon reach the red and white markings of the GR® 129, coming from the right, and continue together until you reach a T-junction.

(7) Then turn left. The partially paved path runs straight ahead and continues along a small road that leads to a crossroads. Carefully follow the main road (Rue Cinquant) to the right until you reach the junction with the N57 connecting Ellezelles to Renaix.

(8) Take a look at the mill on your right, which dominates this crossroads from the top of its hill. This is the Moulin du Cat (cat in Picard dialect) sauvage. Make a return trip.

Cross the N57very carefully and continue straight ahead, still following the red and white markings. You will be invited to turn left at the first junction. You will soon leave the road and take a path to the right at the gable end of a house. It bends to the left, then to the right. Continue along a picturesque, hilly and damp section of forest path, which is equipped with duckboards. After a bend to the left, then to the right, you will come out onto a small road.

(9) Follow it to the left. Almost immediately, leave the white and red markings ofthe GR®® 129, which veers off to the right, in favour of the yellow and red markings ofthe GRP®® 123, which will guide you to the end of your walk. Continue straight ahead on a rustic path that gradually slopes down, opening up a wide panorama towards Ellezelles. After passing a few venerable pollarded willows, the path eventually joins a small road.

(10) Follow it briefly to the left and then turn right almost immediately onto a path, which is often wet, bordered by the Tordoir stream and old pollarded willows. This will take you to the bend in a street, flanked by an oratory.

(11) Turn left here and follow a grassy path that curves to the right and passes another oratory. Walk along the wooded grounds of the Château du Milord.
Today it is a renowned restaurant. Originally, it was a small manor house built at the end of the 19th century by an English aristocrat.
Beyond a third, rather dilapidated oratory, the path continues straight ahead, bordered by sports fields. It eventually joins a lane where it turns left and leads to the N57.

(12) Follow it to the right to finish your walk. Then cross the N57 with caution.
There are plenty of pedestrian crossings. On Ellezelles Square (S/E), a "chorchîle" (witch) awaits you, preparing some kind of potion in her cauldron!

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 53 m - Place d'Ellezelles car park
  2. 1 : km 0.87 - alt. 48 m - Exit onto a street
  3. 2 : km 1.81 - alt. 82 m - Junction with the RAVeL (L 87)
  4. 3 : km 2.75 - alt. 94 m - Fork marked with red beams
  5. 4 : km 3.95 - alt. 112 m - Junction with the GR 129
  6. 5 : km 4.89 - alt. 105 m - Bridge
  7. 6 : km 5.84 - alt. 104 m - Junction. Monumental Christ
  8. 7 : km 6.66 - alt. 97 m - Partially paved path
  9. 8 : km 7.58 - alt. 112 m - Moulin du Cat sauvage.
  10. 9 : km 8.53 - alt. 98 m - Junction with a small road
  11. 10 : km 9.76 - alt. 51 m - T-junction with a street
  12. 11 : km 10.28 - alt. 48 m - Street bend
  13. 12 : km 11.02 - alt. 56 m - N57
  14. S/E : km 11.22 - alt. 53 m - Place d'Ellezelles car park

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 10 reviews

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

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, mainly through small villages and past farms, with a few short stretches through woodland. It’s a shame the route doesn’t take a detour via the Sentier de l’Étrange, which is well worth a look, especially with children, but it’s not easy to find without a map or prior information, as there are virtually no signposts from the neighbouring paths. It’s also worth noting that the section between points 4 and 6 on our route is closed, so you’ll need to plan an alternative route to get around it, and the section between points 11 and 12 is virtually impassable due to very deep, sticky mud, which makes it very difficult to get through in wet weather.

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Hello,
Thank you for this very positive review.
Best wishes and, above all, have fun on the Visorando trails... and others.

JMM

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LebDid
LebDid

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This was our first experience with Visio. It took a little time to get used to it in order to use the tool optimally.
Perhaps some information about the distances between certain locations is missing.
There was a disruption during the hike to point 5 due to construction work on the Ravel. But we managed to find our way back via the platform :-)
We're already planning our next hike using this great tool.

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jacques urbain
jacques urbain

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Please note that between points 5 and 6, the Ravel is blocked by roadworks
You will need to take a detour

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Hello,

I'm sorry, but the only possible "refuge" in case of rain is very close to the start, just outside Ellezelles. It is a restaurant ("Le Chaudron des sorcières") located in the Collines brewery. It can hardly be considered a shelter. However, if you want to have a picnic, there is a designated area at the foot of the Cat Sauvage mill, more than halfway along the route, where the route crosses the N57.
I wish you a pleasant time and an enjoyable walk in the Land of Witches.

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benourando
benourando

Hello to the organiser of the "Witches' Country Tour".
A quick question: if it rains, and considering the picnic, is there a sheltered spot along the route where we can take shelter and eat in peace?
Thank you!!!

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Quit59
Quit59

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike, very pleasant. The description is very comprehensive and accurate. Thank you for your work. Please note, however, that there is currently major construction work between points 5 and 6, which requires a detour, but I was able to get back on track without too much difficulty.

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Thank you for this very positive review.
Enjoy your hikes on the Visorando trails and others.
JM Maquet

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Jean Rasson
Jean Rasson

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the hilly countryside, beautiful views, not too difficult a route and, at the end of the walk, a view of the windmill.

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Thank you very much, "Apero", for your very positive review.
We are delighted that you enjoyed this beautiful corner of the Pays des Collines.
Enjoy the trails!

JM Maquet

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Apero
Apero

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and varied hike, a bit muddy in places. Perfect description of the route.

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Hello,
Thank you for your very positive review.
It is a pleasure to help people discover this beautiful part of Wallonia.
JMM

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pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of the region, a beautiful hike followed by a visit to the Maison du Pays de Collines.

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JM Maquet
JM Maquet

Hello,

We are delighted that you have been able to discover, and clearly appreciate, this corner of the Pays des Collines. Yes, it is indeed a region that deserves to be better known. It is a shame that some local authorities, particularly in Ellezelles, are not more zealous in defending the country lanes, which are too often invaded and damaged by motorists. This is not really the case on the route of this walk. On the other hand, several volunteers are fighting to preserve and even rehabilitate the paths. If you would like to explore longer routes, I have described two, one starting from Lahamaide and the other from Everbeek Beneden. Enjoy your walks.

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Joffrey Lhoir
Joffrey Lhoir

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Definitely the most beautiful hike I've ever done via Visiorando!!!
A magnificent region with pleasant, peaceful paths...
An excellent memory... thank you very much for this wonderful discovery :-)

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