A circular route in the beautiful Ayeneux region

Starting from Ayeneux (Soumagne), I invite you on a 10.5 km walk passing through Olne, one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia, and returning via Saint-Hadelin.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 240 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 240 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 247 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 136 m

Description of the walk

Parking at Ayeneux village school, next to the church, Chaussée de Wégimont.

(S/E) Leave the school and church behind you, continue along the Chaussée de Wégimont and turn left onto Rue Longue Voie. At the end of the street, continue along the small path in front of you. Join the main road and follow it to the left.

After about a hundred metres, carefully cross the N621 and take the path on the right. A small sign saying “Balade du champêtre” indicates that you are heading in the right direction.
The road turns into a path. Follow it, cross the Magne and, at the top, join Rue Pont de la Plantche. Turn right, leave Rue des Anges on your left and continue straight on.

(1) At the bend towards Rue Mitoyenne, take the path in front of you.

(2) At the war memorial and the junction with Rue Rafhay, continue straight ahead. Leave the path on the left and head for the next junction of paths.

(3) Turn left towards the village of Olne. At the next junction, continue straight ahead.

(4) Take the path on the left. At the end of the path, turn right onto Route Hardavoie and walk past the wayside shrine. At the bottom of the road, cross Rue du Chantoir and take the path going uphill opposite (there is a car park). At the top of this path, turn right onto Rue du Village.

(5) Opposite the bakery, take the path on the left. Take great care when crossing.
Walk past a cross situated on the embankment on the right. Then, head down the long path on the right, which has numerous steps...

(6) At the bottom of the path, turn immediately right. Pass through the pretty hamlet of Grand-Vaux, follow the stream and continue straight on until you reach the N604 main road.

(7) Cross the N604 with care. Go up the path opposite and continue straight on until you reach the junction with the Fosses Berger road.

(8) Cross this road carefully and take a sharp first turn right then left to join the path which, further on, meets the starting point of the circular route towards Olne.

(3) Turn left onto the track called Au Château de Saint-Hadelin. Walk past this large building, turn right, then head straight left onto the Chemin du Rouau, which leads downhill.

(9) At the bottom of this path, turn left then follow the path straight to the right. At the bottom of this path, take Rue En Rivage to the right then another path on the left.
Cross the Magne and, when you reach the first houses, take care not to miss the path leading uphill on the left. Continue to the right and take the path marked by two boulders at the start. At the end of this path, turn left.

(10) Turn right onto the path “Les Rouwalettes” until you reach a junction with a road.

(11) Turn left onto Rue Faweux and continue straight on along Belle Maison. Turn right onto Chaussée de Wégimont to reach your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 247 m - Ayeneux Primary School.
  2. 1 : km 1.83 - alt. 208 m - Bend, path opposite
  3. 2 : km 2.51 - alt. 230 m - Crossroads – path and street, opposite
  4. 3 : km 2.99 - alt. 211 m - Junction of the Olne circular loop
  5. 4 : km 3.96 - alt. 219 m - Junction - Vieux Tilleul
  6. 5 : km 4.6 - alt. 224 m - Bifurcation at the bakery - Eglise Saint Sébastien et ancien cimetière
  7. 6 : km 5.62 - alt. 140 m - Hamlet of Grand-Vaux
  8. 7 : km 6.25 - alt. 170 m - Crossing the main road
  9. 8 : km 6.71 - alt. 227 m - Fosses Berger
  10. 9 : km 7.9 - alt. 185 m - Saint-Hadelin
  11. 10 : km 9.02 - alt. 205 m - Les Rouwalettes
  12. 11 : km 9.49 - alt. 220 m - Rue Faweux
  13. S/E : km 10.45 - alt. 247 m - Ayeneux Primary School

Notes

This walk involves some steep gradients.

Worth a visit

I recommend stopping off in the pretty village of Olne and exploring the centre. There you can see the church and some old houses.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 16770134

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

.

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jipecar
jipecar

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route offers a lovely way to explore the hamlets between Ayeneux and Olne, with some beautiful views. On the day of our walk, there weren’t many people about.

The route description is fairly accurate. Two points need revising:
-- point 9: the second paragraph should state that you should continue via Rue Sous l’Eglise; in the small hamlet, take the road going uphill to the right with a sign prohibiting vehicles over 3 tonnes, then take the first path on the left and then on the right;

- point 10: on the track running alongside the quarry, the sign for Rue des Rouwalettes does not exist; it should be described by its location (for example, the xth right from a specific point)

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Luc Dumont
Luc Dumont

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The walks you suggest in this area (Olne and the surrounding area) are very pleasant. It wasn’t too busy today, but perhaps the cold weather put people off.
Note regarding the description:
- (5) This is a butcher’s shop, not a bakery. (Why not mention the street names when they’re given? ‘Ruelle des Escaliers’, in this case.)
- Between (6) and (7), it would be good to mention that the path becomes a road before joining the main road. “Follow the stream and continue straight ahead” is a bit simplistic.
- (8) “on the path which further on joins the starting point of the Olne circular route.” If you don’t know this point, it seems to me that there is nothing to indicate it(?)
- The description of point (9) is unclear. (The landmark ‘two boulders’ is not visible at the start of the path; it is further on.
- (10) The "Rouwalettes" path: there is no sign indicating this name at the start of the path, but there is one at the end. (Too late to be of any use.)

The route marked on the map was very helpful.

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Guy Hazée
Guy Hazée
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There are a few inaccuracies in the written description of the route!

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Christian Collin
Christian Collin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route along paths and trails, with very few roads. In short, a wonderful way to discover or rediscover part of the beautiful Herve region!

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Pierre Alleman
Pierre Alleman

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well. What more can I say?
To be repeated in spring, autumn and winter. We’ve already done it in summer.

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