A loop on the heights of Aulne Abbey

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Here is a short, easy walk in the woods of Leernes and along the Sambre.

Details

n°1589138
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.06 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 133 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 132 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 194 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 106 m
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Photos

A small pond
A picturesque view of the Sambre valley.
Aulne Abbey
Chapel in the forest

Description of the walk

Park in the long grassy car park on the edge of the road coming from Landelies, just before the drawbridge over the Sambre.

(S/E) Go up the road towards Saint-Exupéry, leave the road and continue straight ahead on the forest path, which is theGR®12(white and red markers). The slope is quite steep. In the Lernes state forest, join the GR® crossroads.

(1) Leave theGR®12and take the path on the left, which is theGR®129. Follow it, turn right and then left to continue on a stony path. You will reach another crossroads.

(2) Leave the gravel path in front of you and turn left onto the GR®. You will come to another trail junction.

(3) Leave theGR® and take the small path on the left. This winds through the woods and joins theGR®129further on.

(4) At this crossroads, at the foot of the beech tree marked with theGR® sign, there are orchids, which may or may not be in bloom depending on the season. Continue to follow theGR® to reach the wide viewpoint over the Sambre valley.

(5) Stay on theGR®129, which leaves the path and turns left onto a trail.
At the next fork, continue along the path on the left to reach the entrance to Hourpes.

(6) Leave theGR® and take the forest path to the left. After a few metres, you will come to the towpath along the Sambre. Take it to the left and follow it all the way. At the end of the towpath, you will reach lock no. 8.

(7) Then turn left onto a road, pass La Guinguette and quickly reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 106 m - Parking before the drawbridge over the Sambre
  2. 1 : km 0.54 - alt. 178 m - GR12/GR129 fork
  3. 2 : km 1.76 - alt. 181 m - Path on the left following the GR129
  4. 3 : km 2.07 - alt. 179 m - Path on the left when leaving the GR129
  5. 4 : km 2.64 - alt. 183 m - Fork with the GR129
  6. 5 : km 3.2 - alt. 188 m - View of the Sambre valley.
  7. 6 : km 3.79 - alt. 127 m - Entrance to Hourpes. Towards - Sambre à finaliser
  8. 7 : km 6.95 - alt. 108 m - Lock no. 8
  9. S/E : km 7.06 - alt. 106 m - Parking before the drawbridge over the Sambre

Notes

There are no water points on the route, except for "La Guinguette" at the start/finish. The route is not very demanding, but it is a good idea to take some water with you.
There are no technical difficulties, except for the descent halfway along the route, which can be a little slippery/tricky in wet or damp weather. In dry weather, trainers are sufficient, but in wet weather, good walking boots are useful or even necessary.
There are no particular physical difficulties, only the initial climb requires some effort.
The route is not accessible to pushchairs or buggies but is easily accessible to children over 6-7 years old who enjoy walking.
The woods along the ridges and the coast are magnificent, with oak, beech, ash, hazel, hornbeam and aspen trees, among others. It is worth taking a camera, as are the numerous birds on the Sambre in the second half of the route.

Worth a visit

(Between 6 and S/E) All along the route, the vegetation is quite interesting, and on the water side, the bank is often overgrown with Japanese knotweed and lilies, while the "land side" is largely occupied by yarrow, St. John's wort and many native plants. The bushes provide shelter for many birds, and if you stop, you will hear chickadees, robins and nuthatches.
On the other side of the water, you are sure to spot barnacle geese that have settled here, as well as hybrids, herons and cormorants, not to mention the inevitable mallards.

Lock No. 8: here you will find "La Guinguette", where you can enjoy a good meal and a drink. The place is very popular with hikers, mountain bikers and families out for a walk.

The ruins of Aulne Abbey are 300 metres from the start/finish point and are well worth a visit (1 hour)
ADA is also an excellent abbey beer that is well worth trying at the abbey tavern or in one of the few establishments surrounding it.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 36 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
ArinaTomberg
ArinaTomberg

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, first on the heights, where you can enjoy magnificent views of the Sambre valley, then along the tranquil course of the river. The route is well laid out, with plenty of benches to rest on — notably at points 3, 4, 5 and then along the river. Between points 3 and 4, we made a short detour to admire a very picturesque pond. It is worth extending the walk with a visit to Aulne Abbey, whose romantic ruins are already visible from the starting point.

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User 3976718

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The first part is along a forest path with a steep 500-metre climb, which is the only difficult part of this hike, then it's flat for the rest of the way.
The last three kilometres are on a towpath that is very busy, especially with cyclists.
Very good.

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AFJL
AFJL
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this walk on Sunday afternoon, 21 July! Luckily, because there was an ADEPS walk organised and we joined in... so there were no crowds until early afternoon.
A very nice walk that took about the right amount of time. Very well signposted. The end of the route, along the Sambre, is a bit long for two walkers like us who love the woods. No major difficulties going up and down, but good walking shoes are a must.

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Luc1
Luc1

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant walk between the forest and the banks of the Sambre River

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PDA
PDA

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike for nature lovers, especially those who enjoy forests. The climb at the start (please provide more details) is fairly easy with good walking gear (boots and walking sticks). The descent, however, is more challenging and requires walking sticks in wet weather (slippery ground with lots of leaves). Otherwise, there are no major difficulties along the route.

One small disappointment is that once you reach the heights, the views are very few and far between and not very interesting. Only the view before the descent is worth seeing. The camera wasn't very useful... What a shame! The name of this hike should also be changed, as you can't see Aulne Abbey from up there at all.

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Laurence de Zemst
Laurence de Zemst

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

During the week, rainy weather meant few people
But at the weekend, it's very busy along the water's edge
Nice climb at the start and a fairly steep slope down to the towpath, so make sure you wear good shoes as it can be slippery in wet weather

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Martine (Bruxelles)
Martine (Bruxelles)

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Few people in the woods, more on the towpath...
The detour to Aulne Abbey is a must!

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Benjamin orban
Benjamin orban

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk, the woods are magnificent.
Did it with children aged 3 and 7 with no problems at all.

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Blueknight
Blueknight

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Lack of signposting on the route. The paper map wasn't great, I'm still looking for some of the trails, but luckily the GPX file helped.

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Lolotte59
Lolotte59

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful walk with splendid weather, but the paper itinerary is insufficient, too vague and prone to error. The GPX file is essential.
Thank you

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Daphne Kiss-Fodor
Daphne Kiss-Fodor
• Edited:

In response to Jeansmetz
Thank you for your advice. That is definitely where we went wrong

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Isa Binche
Isa Binche

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

We did this walk on a sunny Sunday morning when it wasn't too busy. Thanks to the comments, we found the starting point and had a pleasant walk. The only downside was that the name of the walk is "Les hauteurs de l'abbaye d'Aulne" (the heights of Aulne Abbey), but you don't actually see Aulne Abbey until you finish the walk. The description was OK, difficulties include the climb at the start and the descent before returning to the towpath

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Daphne Kiss-Fodor
Daphne Kiss-Fodor

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike with a friend. We chose this hike because it was the first time we had followed a trail and, as we know the area, we didn't want to take any risks. We must have missed a clue because we completed the hike in less time than expected. That didn't stop us from having a good time... the weather was very pleasant, which allowed us to get some fresh air given the current health conditions.

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Elli Alloq
Elli Alloq

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, wooded in the first half and along the towpath in the second half.
I appreciated the variety.
I went on a Wednesday and encountered two small groups along the wooded section, with more people on the towpath.
which was to be expected as the weather was superb and it was a school holiday.
But that didn't spoil the walk at all.
The only real difficulty on the route is the climb at the start.
Be careful, the descent out of the woods is quite steep and slippery if it rains.
It would be a good idea to mark the starting point more clearly.
It's worth leaving the trail to take a look at the ruins of Aulne Abbey.
A lovely walk that I'll happily do again when the Guinguette reopens, so I can enjoy some refreshment after all that exercise!

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isabelleseny
isabelleseny

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk, especially in the woods
A bit crowded in the woods, but quite nice on the towpath.
For those who are unsure about where to start, take the path that climbs up into the woods on the right-hand side of the Saint Exupéry Institute at 2 Rue de l'Abbaye d'Aulne. It's a climb that will warm your legs up for the rest of the walk.

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