Breathtaking Belgian Ardennes

Arrive

Having crossed the Channel at Calais, make your way through France and Belgium. Enjoy your first sight of the rugged and natural Ardennes landscape as you travel to your hotel in La Roche-en-Ardenne or Dinant. If time allows, begin exploring the area.

Scenic Train – Yvoir to Ciney

This morning we head to the quaint little town of Yvoir to take a scenic train journey throughout the heart of the rugged Ardennes landscape to Ciney. Pass through at a leisurely pace, while you take in this unique landscape that’s scarred by the fierce battles of the 20th century. Its meandering rivers, rolling hills, deep caverns and thick forests all make up this magnificent though often forgotten area of Belgium.

You will alight the train in Ciney, a slightly larger town than Yvoir, with a long history stretching back to the Roman period. Ciney has also been brewing its signature beers since 1450 – take the afternoon to stroll around this lovely town at leisure and perhaps try one of the local beers with steak-frites. 

Dinant and the Jardins d’Annevoie

We spend the morning in Dinant, a pretty town that has become famous for both the imposing citadel perched high above the River Ourthe, and also for being the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. The quirky (and free) ‘La Maison de Monsieur Sax’ is worth a quick visit, as is the cathedral with its onion-shaped dome. We then enjoy a 45-minute river cruise along the River Meuse, watching the stunning scenery including the Bayard rock, the Love island, the Bridge St John and the River Lesse.

In the afternoon we visit the Jardins d’Annevoie. These truly magnificent 17th Century water gardens are full of ornamental lakes, fountains, water jets and cascades, all fed by gravity and without the use of any artificial power. Each May, the gardens hosts a Venetian Carnival Festival, a truly remarkable spectacle featuring people parading in full Venetian Carnival costumes. The gardens are regarded as some of the best, not only in Belgium, but also in the whole of Europe.

Please note the Jardins d’Annevoie are closed from 9th November 2020 – 27th March 2021

Chocolate and Beer!

In the morning we head to Chocolatier Defroidmont, on the outskirts of Érezée. This is a unique place in an idyllic location. The museum tells the story of Philippe Defroidmont and his family, delving deep into the process of chocolate making “from cocoa bean to praline”. You may even get the opportunity to taste some of their produce at the end of the tour!

After a morning at the museum, we head for La Roche-en-Ardennes, for some time to potter around this famous town, and perhaps find a bite to eat or to explore its recent history. La Roche-en-Ardennes is also home to the Battle Museum, which is well worth a visit if time allows. The museum describes the fundamental role played by British troops in the liberation of the villages on the left bank of the River Ourthe between the 3rd and 16th January 1945.

To round off our last full day surrounded by these lush landscapes, we head to the famed Brasserie d’Achouffe. Here we tour the brewery that is home to ‘La Chouffe’ beers and is renowned for its different varieties, as well as the ‘Chouffe’ gnomes found on the bottles. The tour around the brewery is followed by a tasting of 4 beers!

Depart

If time allows, take in some final sights and buy your souvenirs before departing from Ardennes.

If you are interested in extending your visit, there are a number of additional attractions in the Ardennes worth visiting. Exciting attractions include the Ardennes battlefields, Belgian breweries and the Caves of Han where you can explore the underground caves with its amazing creations carved by the River Lisse.

For those who enjoy castles, the Freÿr Chateau is located on the banks of the River Meuse and the grounds evoke a feeling of Versailles with gardens in the style of Le Nôtre. The superb Chateau de Lavaux combines Middle age and Renaissance architecture.  The only Ardennes castle set in open countryside, it hosts three museums.