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Car park: on the banks of the Meuse, at the end of Rue de la Fabrique in Gives.
Alternative car park: Gives church, Chaussée d’Andenne.
(S/E) From the banks of the Meuse, head upstream for about two kilometres, following the towpath – first tarmac, then concrete – which approaches the A-road at the Île des Béguines before rejoining the banks of the Meuse. Continue to the stream (Rau de Bousalle) and cross it.
(1) Take the path on the left, which runs alongside a property through the copse. The path emerges onto the main road; walk alongside it on the right for a few dozen metres, cross it – take care – and turn left onto Rue Chênu.
The street continues as a grassy farm track; go through the gate (the track is public) and carry on straight ahead between the meadows and fields. The track narrows to a path, enters a copse and soon crosses over the stream (a simple stone bridge with a small brick monument).
(2) Follow the stream along its right bank. After about one kilometre, cross the stream and continue up a steeper slope through a woodland of oak and beech trees. The path joins a tarmac road. A shortcut is possible; see Practical Information.
(3) Cross the road and rejoin the path opposite, continuing the ascent up the valley. The path reaches a tarmac road again; follow this to the left for about fifty metres.
(4) Then turn right into the woodland, taking the path that runs alongside the field, then a meadow, about ten metres from it. As the path begins a gentle descent and draws closer to the field, turn left onto the path bordered by a double, open hedge. Shortly afterwards, the path crosses to the side of the field, then continues as a dirt track, heading downhill alongside a woodland, before finally joining a small tarmac road.
(5) Turn left onto the tarmac road. This soon passes a few houses, then heads into the woodland, climbing slightly. It emerges onto a tarmac road, which you follow to the right until you reach a four-way junction.
(6) Turn left onto Rue Eugène Malherbe, towards the hamlet of Bousalle. Pass through the hamlet and continue straight on until you reach the bottom of the road, opposite a wayside shrine (just before the stream). Turn left onto Rue Fond de Bousalle until you reach the junction at a left-hand bend.
(7) Take the path on the right which descends towards the stream, crosses it (via a footbridge) and follows it. Continue uphill through the woods. The path soon runs alongside a meadow below the woodland. Shortly after the second clump of trees at the edge of the pasture (and before a vineyard), the path turns left, amongst the birch trees, whilst climbing. It joins a junction with a slightly wider forest track at the top of the route.
(8) Turn sharply left. This track begins a gentle descent and soon curves (very) widely to the right. Ignore the tracks to the left and, further down, the one on the right that heads uphill, until you reach a wider, partly gravelled forest track.
(9) Take this track to the right. It becomes tarmac and runs alongside a large meadow. At the end of the meadow (bounded by an open hedge), take the farm track on the left leading towards the woods. After passing the small block-built structure at the entrance to the woods, you’ll reach a crossroads of paths.
(10) Turn onto the path on the right; it begins the descent down the hillside. Ignore the first two paths on the left and carry on straight ahead (the track is barely visible at first). As the path overlooks the valley (on the right), keep to the left and then turn right.
The path leads onto a wider track, which you follow to the left to go round a dip in the ground.
After a few bends, the path passes between two ditches, climbing slightly, and joins another path. Take this to the right to continue the descent. At the three-way junction (information board, ‘Trail’ signs and a Red Diamond arrow), turn right and continue down to the bottom of the hill, at the end of the path.
(11) Turn left to join Rue de la Logne, then take the second street on the left (Rue Émile Vandervelde), heading towards the A-road. Cross the road (at the pedestrian crossing) and continue straight ahead along Rue de la Grotte, then take the first right (Rue de la Gravière) and, finally, turn left onto Rue de la Fabrique to reach the banks of the Meuse (S/E).
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