Beautiful Belgian Ardennes

Travel to the Ardennes

Drive to Dover for the short sea ferry crossing to Calais.  Make your way through France and into Belgium. Enjoy your first sight of the rugged and natural Ardennes landscape as you arrive at your hotel for 4 nights.

Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne

Visit the picturesque and popular ‘chocolate box’ town of Durbuy, where the shops and cafes are set in narrow, flower bedecked and cobbled streets lined by old stone houses. The town is so dinky that it won’t take long to see everything on foot, but you’ll want to go slow and enjoy the atmosphere where almost every house is built from local limestone rubble with slate roofs, and many have an exposed timber frame.   A sight to behold on your walk around Durbuy is the Halle aux Blés (corn exchange). This half-timbered market hall sits in a picture-perfect row of old houses.

Maybe take the local tourist train departing from Parc Roi Baudouin up to a belvedere with what might be the best panorama of the town and the Ourthe Valley.

The imposing castle “Château des Comtes d’Ursel” dominates the town, located on the opposite banks of the river (castle is closed to the public).

From Durbuy drive to La Roche. Situated on the banks of the River Ourthe, La Roche is located in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, in the middle of a landscape made up of thick forests, valleys and agricultural plateaus.  The town’s quaint streets and little shops are overlooked by the ruins of a pretty medieval castle and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Ardennes.  Foodies may be delighted to taste the local specialities, including the renowned Ardennes ham.  For history buffs a visit to the Museum of the Battle of the Bulge, an important war memorial, or the ruins of its feudal castle is a must.

Before returning to the hotel, a visit to the famed Brasserie d’Achouffe brewery can be made for a tour and tasting of the local Chouffe beer (recommended groups booked in advance)

Dinant and the Jardins d’Annevoie

Drive to Dinant, birthplace of Adophe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.  The quirky and free ‘La Maison de Monsieur Sax’ museum is worth a quick visit.  See the imposing citadel overlooking the river and the cathedral with its onion-shaped dome.   Continue on 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.

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. The gardens are regarded as some of the best, not only in Belgium, but also in the whole of Europe. Each May, the gardens hosts a Venetian Carnival Festival, a truly remarkable spectacle featuring people parading in full Venetian Carnival costumes.

Namur and the Chemin de Fer du Bocq

Drive to the Province de Namur and the quaint little town of Spontin, a very picturesque village in the Bocq valley. The town is renowned for its mineral water, lemonades and syrups.  See the exterior of Spontin Castle, once used as a ‘defensive tower’ built to protect the users of the old Roman road from Dinant to Huy. It has massive walls, its towers topped with slate and a moat with a drawbridge.  The castle is closed to the public but can be seen from the outside.

From here, board the Chemin de Fer du Bocq historical train for a scenic journey along the ‘Luxembourg Rail Line’ through the heart of the rugged Ardennes landscape.  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.

Return to the hotel via Ciney which has been brewing its signature beers since 1450 – take time to stroll around this lovely town at leisure and perhaps try one of the local beers with steak-frites. 

Note:  Train routes/schedules and embarkation points may vary

Return to the UK

Drive to Calais for the short sea ferry crossing to Dover.

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!

Other attractions could include the Ardennes battlefields or 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.