Hiking in the Belgian Ardennes has always been one of my favorite things to do in my home country. Walking through a fantastic forest is such a soothing and relaxing experience. The fresh air gives an energy boost and nature’s raw beauty brings instant happiness! The Japanese gave it a name; shinrin-yoku, which means forest bathing. It is even included in their national health program to reduce stress!
Hiking is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Belgium. Most people associate Belgium with Brussels, Bruges or Ghent or its delicacies like beer, chocolates and fries. What they often don’t know is that the Belgian outdoors is absolutely stunning and a true paradise for hiking lovers! Belgium may not have towering peaks or massive glaciers, but the country does have rolling hills, magical forests, beautiful rivers and meanders, awesome viewpoints and rough rock formations.
The following hikes in Wallonia are my absolute favorites. So if you ever decide to visit Belgium and you would love to hike in the Belgian Ardennes, I strongly advise to pick a hike from this list to get back to nature and do some forest bathing (literally and figuratively, since it can be quite muddy 😉 )
This post will be updated every time I discover more fantastic hikes in the Belgian Ardennes!
Hiking in the Belgian Ardennes: 11 walks you must do
Les Deux Vallées
Distance: 9 km
Indication: green standing rectangle
Start/end: near Moulin du Bayehon (Route du Bayehon 64, Longfaye)
Parking: at the side of the road near the information board at the Moulin du Bayehon
Highlights: Cascade du Bayehon, Vieux Chêne (old hollow oak)
First you walk upstream next to the Bayehon river crossing several wooden bridges. After a steeper climb you arrive uphill and you’ll see the Cascade du Bayehon a little deeper in a small canyon on your right. This waterfall is 9m high and the third largest of Belgium. It may not seem that high, but if you descend to the waterfall, it looks a little more impressive. Especially during rainy periods the waterfall contains a lot of water. During the summer or drier periods there is only a small stream of water.
You continue following the Bayehon river and you’ll pass a hollow oak tree “Vieux Chêne” on your left. I think a lot of people miss this tree because it is a little further from the path, but I found it rather mysterious and fun to take a look inside of the tree.
When you reach the peatland “Fagne de Longfaye”, you leave the Bayehon behind and walk in between the peatland and the forest. Then you reach a path downhill through the woods and after a while you reach the Pouhon river. This river keeps you company until it disappears into the Bayehon. After this confluence you just have to climb a little more and you’ll reach the start point of your hike.
I loved this walk because I adore the sound of streaming water while I’m hiking. During my walk in the summertime I saw a lot of butterflies, different kinds of birds, greens and trees, but the waterfall looked rather empty. During autumn the woods have gorgeous warm colors and the waterfall has a big powerful stream!
Warche Valley
Distance: 5.2 km
Indication: blue rectangle
Start/end: Chalet du Barrage
Parking: at the Chalet du Barrage (Walk 96, Waimes)
Highlights: Reinhardstein waterfall, Nez de Napoleon, Reinhardstein castle
At the Chalet du Barrage you take the path marked with the blue rectangle leading through the forest. After only 400m, you can already admire the scenic view of the Reinhardstein castle, which is situated on the opposite hill of the Warche valley and which you will pass later on this hike! Who knew hiking in the Belgian Ardennes would also mean castle chasing? Excited yet?
Continuing the walk leads you further into the forest to steep rock formations, until you reach a big protruding rock. This rock is called Nez de Napoleon and it offers more splendid views on the Warche valley.
From there the hike will bring you down the Warche valley where you will hike along its river. At the point where you will need to go back up, you can do a detour to Belgium’s highest waterfall; Cascade de Reinhardstein. This waterfall is 60m high and absolutely worth the extra meters (except when it has been dry for a while, then the waterfall won’t contain much water). The descent to the waterfall is quite steep, so be careful.
You can choose to either return back to the offical path or walk along the river until you find a gate to the Reinhardstein castle and then climb up to the castle from there. Then the path continues to the dam of the Robertville lake which will lead you back to the parking lot at Chalet du Barrage.
Hoëgne Valley
Distance: 10 km
Indication: blue cross
Start/end: Pont de Belleheid
Parking: Parking Pont de Belleheid (Chemin de Belle Heid 15, 4845 Jalhay)
Highlights: Cascade Marie-Henriette, Cascade Léopold II, les Cascatelles
The Hoëgne river is probably one of the most impressive rivers of Belgium. So if you love hiking in the Belgian Ardennes, this hike must be added to your bucket list! The river’s source is situated at 660m altitude near Baraque Michel, one of Belgium’s highest points. This walk will lead you along the river’s most fast flowing part.
You start at the Belleheid bridge and walk along the river crossing several wooden bridges. It is a pleasant hike but at certain points you need to mind your step, since you’ll encounter a lot of tree roots, rocks and mud (unless there’s been a dry period). You pass 2 beautiful small waterfalls called Cascade Marie-Henriette & Cascade Léopold II, where you also find a nice picnic spot.
Then you keep climbing along the river until you reach Pont du Centenaire. But don’t forget to stop on the way at my most favorite part of the river; les Cascatelles. Here the river gets steeper so you’ll find a lot of little waterfalls and rapids to admire.
Once you arrive at the Pont du Centenaire you need to take the path on the left and take the first left again to walk back along the river, but from higher up. You’ll pass a viewpoint and when you arrive at the path with boulders you will need to descend via a path on the left. This will lead you back to the cascade du Léopold II to return to the parking lot.
La Statte
Distance: 10 km
Indication: blue rectangle
Start/end: officially it starts/ends at the parking area near the church of Solwaster, but I started at the parking lot at the edge of the forest
Parking: officially parking near the church St Antoine de Padoue in Solwaster / unofficially parking at the edge of the forest (GPS 50°31’25” – 5°58’32”)
Highlights: Rocher de Bilisse, Cascade des Nutons
I started this hike at the parking lot near the forest to get instant nature vibes! Since it was autumn at the time, the forest ground was covered in yellow and orange leaves, which made it look as if I entered a magical golden forest. The first part takes you along the river and you will encounter a troll rock and hole! Yep, hiking in the Belgian Ardennes can be very fairy-tale-like as well!
A little further the Rocher de Bilisse rises from the ground. This massive vertical rock formation dates from the Cambrium area (500 million years ago) and is covered with some sort of yellow brownish lichen. Don’t climb it yet, but continue the hike to the Cascade des Nutons (troll’s waterfall).
I did not find any trolls on the way or at the waterfall, but I am very convinced they helped me finding my tripod handle! I lost it on the way to the waterfall. So I thought to return and look for it, which would be like searching for a needle in a haystack since the ground was completely covered with golden leaves. Only 10 seconds later I encountered a woman and I asked if she saw a tripod handle and her child screamed; “Yes! I found it!” and ran to a spot only 5m from where I was standing, where indeed I saw the handle lying in the middle of the path on top of a rock! Coincidence? I think not! 😉
Next you cross the river and proceed via the left bank of the river for about 800m. Turn right to the big rock and turn right again at the forest road. After another 800m you turn right at the junction, cross the bridge and walk towards “Vieux Marchés”. After 100m you’ll reach the cabin of the trolls (also no trolls there) and you take a left turn. Continue for one more kilometer and turn left to descend to the Rocher de Bilisse. From here you can admire the fantastic view from the rock.
Take the path down to the foot of the rock and turn right. If you want to shorten the hike, you can return the same way you came from to the parking lot. If you want to continue this hike in the Belgian Ardennes, cross the small bridge on the left and ascend along the river Bilisse to arrive at the dolmen, which is basically just a huge rock. Then the path leads to a clearing in the woods and some meadows and you will end at the church of Solwaster. If you parked at the parking lot near the forest, just follow the Route de la Statte back to the car.
Ninglinspo
Distance: 6 km
Indication: blue rectangle
Start/end: Sedoz parking next to restaurant Le Ninglinspo
Parking: Sedoz parking (GPS 50°28’06” – 5°44’37”)
Highlights: Ninglinspo river with its many little cascades and bains (baths)
As you probably already noticed hiking in the Belgian Ardennes means often hiking along beautiful rivers. The Ninglinspo is the most popular river hike in Belgium, so take that into account. Don’t go here during the weekends or holidays because the place gets overrun by families with children who want to play in the water.
The Ninglinspo is described as the only mountain river of Belgium. Which I think is odd, because we don’t have mountains. The walk starts along the river and is very varied. There are simple sandy paths and more rocky trails. You cross the river by wading through the water or at the more deep river crossings there are bridges made of tree trunks you can use. Sometimes the hike gets more difficult where the actual path disappears. Then you have to use a rope to climb the slippery rocks along the river. Those were my favorite parts, because it was quite adventurous.
The second part of the hike is a forest path that leads to a viewpoint called Drouet. From there you descent back to the parking lot. An extension of the hike is possible (red diamond). You can find the description of this 14km hike here.
Bieley Felsen
Distance: 4.5 km
Indication: none
Start/end: Gut Heistert
Parking: Gut Heistert 1, 52156 Monschau, Germany
Highlights: Bieley rock
Important: This hike leads through a military zone, so check the timetable (only available in Dutch and French) in advance on the Defence website to check if there is no target practice on the day you want to do this hike.
Even though this hike starts in Germany just right across the border, it leads to a fantastic viewpoint in Belgium. Park your car in front of the holiday home called Gut Heistert and start the hike, walking towards the pastures and the woods on the right of the house. If you are lucky you will encounter the cutest Highland Cows. Arriving at the forest border you take the path on the right leading into the forest.
This wide forest path goes slightly down and is decorated by moss on its sides. During autumn you’ll find a lot of toadstools here, even fly agarics! I also found toadstools looking like satellites! I guess gnomes don’t have cable yet!
At the fork you turn right and continue your walk until you cross the bridge over the Perlenbach river. There you turn right again and follow the big path for about 200m. Then you need to look for a big sign on the right through the bushes. There is a path leading through the high grass, but because not many people go here, it is possible you’ll miss it.
Walk through the grass towards the sign and check the timetable for target practice again to make sure it is safe to continue. I am sure getting shot during hiking in the Belgian Ardennes is probably not on your bucket list. The path leads through the grass and can be very muddy and wet, but the views of the winding river with its small waterfalls are magnificent. Keep following the river and after 850m you will need to climb up to the Bieley rock (felsen is German for rock).
The view from the top is definitely one of my favorites because you get a 180° view of the valley with the river with its many meanders and the pine forests. I sat here for a very long time, since I had the place all to myself. Afterwards you can choose to either return via the same way like I did, or via the path leading north. If you take the other path, you just follow it to the end and then turn left. If you continue the path you’ll end up at the path where the timetable was.
Furfooz Nature Reserve
Distance: 4 km
Indication: yellow arrows in the park
Start/end: the park entrance at the end of the Rue du Camp Romain
Parking: At the park entrance
Highlights: Roman ruins, caves and rock holes
Entrance: 5€ / check the park’s website in advance to verify if you need to book in advance
An amazing path runs through the Furfooz nature reserve that you must not miss if you love hiking in the Belgian Ardennes! The well marked route not only leads you to old Roman ruins and a restored bath house, you’ll also find giant caves and sinkholes, idyllic stairways leading through impressive rock formations and fantastic views of the Lesse Valley!
This walk made me feel as if I was not in Belgium anymore. The vegetation in this park is different from the other woods I have visited. A lot of tongue ferns grow in the park and it is very lush. At certain points it felt as if I was on a tropical island. The only things that were still missing were palm trees and a warm temperature.
I was pleasantly suprised by the parc’s diversity. One of my favorite parts was the Trou du Grand Duc, which is a steep stairs leading down to a small cave with a “window” offering a marvelous view of the river Lesse. Another impressive cave is the Trou des Nutons and also the Puits des Vaux fascinated me. A cave is located at the bottom of this chasm with an underground lake with a depth of 40m. You can’t go there though, because the descent is very dangerous.
Chiny: Rocher du Hât & Rocher du Pinco
Distance: Rocher du Hât: 1,8 km / Rocher du Pinco: 6 km
Indication: none (check my map)
Start/end: Rocher du Hât: the small kayak rental cabin / Rocher du Pinco: the little bridge over the river Semois by the hotel Aux Comtes de Chiny
Parking: At hotel Aux Comtes De Chiny
Highlights: the viewpoints of Rocher du Hât, Rocher de l’Ecureuil & Rocher du Pinco
The first short hike to the Rocher du Hât starts at the small kayak rental cabin at the end of the Rue de Cornicelles. You enter the forest and you keep going straight ahead (you’ll pass two paths on the left leading into the forest, but you don’t take these). The path takes you to an open space and there you take the path on the left leading back into the forest. You pass a beautiful lush area overgrown with ferns. Due to last Summer’s drought a lot of ferns had a beautiful orange color when I was there, which offered a beautiful contrast with the green ferns and trees. At the end of the path you turn left and you climb up to the Rocher du Hât.
From the Rocher du Hât you will be able to enjoy gorgeous views on the meanders of the river Semois. During autumn the hills are covered with colorful trees. You can return the same way back to start the second hike.
To start the second hike of the day you cross the red bridge at the hotel Aux Comtes de Chiny to the other side of the river. Then you turn left and follow the path which bends to the right after about 170m. After another 400m a path leads to the left. Cross the little bridge over the stream and take the path on the right that goes straight up. After the steep climb you arrive at the Rocher de l’Ecureuil. You can sit on the bench for a while enjoying another view of the river Semois and the surrounding woods.
After admiring the view you go back down and turn right to follow the path next to the riverbank. After 500m the path becomes steeper leading more into the forest. At the “T-crossing” you turn left and 150m further you turn left again. This path goes straight through the woods. Once you are closer to the river again, you see a super steep path leading all the way up to Rocher du Pinco. I wrote super steep, because it really was a serious climb! If you aren’t very steady on your legs, I strongly advise to use walking sticks. At certain points I used the trees and even climbed on hands and feet!
The view at Rocher du Pinco is worth the effort though! Luckily there is also a bench to rest after the climb! To go back I did not return via the steep hillside, because I would’ve probably ended up on my butt in the dirt sliding down. I took the path leading away from the viewpoint, keeping right. That way you follow a half circle leading back to the path that leads you along the river to the small bridge over the stream.
I was surprised to encounter a huge deer only 5m away from me, since this part of the path is quite close to the N85 (Grand-Route). Unfortunately the deer ran too fast, as surprised as I was, so I wasn’t able to grab my camera on time. From the small bridge you take the same way back to the hotel.
Nismes: La Roche aux Faucons & Fondry des Chiens
Distance: 8 km
Indication: yellow rectangle
Start/end: l’église Saint-Lambert de Nismes
Parking: Place Châtillon (GPS: Rue Longue)
Highlights: steam train tunnel, la Roche aux Faucons, Fondry des Chiens, Nismes
About 100 km south from Brussels, you’ll find Nismes. This small village with its charming houses is a sub-municipality of Viroinval in the province of Namur. Nismes is the starting point of the hike. After parking the car, head straight to the Saint-Lambert church and follow the yellow rectangle to Rue des Juifs. Here you will find a path going up on the left side of the house at n°9. You’ll need to climb the forest path for about 60 meters and then you’ll arrive at Les Abannets.
Les Abannets is a highland where most trees were cut down to produce charcoal. The path leads through grassland and woods where you will already encounter some small gorges in the limestone rocks. After about one kilometer you’ll enter the forest of Dourbes. I did the hike during autumn and there were a lot of toadstools along the path, waiting to be admired.
When you arrive near the river Viroin, make sure to hike down to the train track of the steam train. Here you will find a cool train tunnel hidden in the middle of the forest. It made me feel as if I was somewhere in Switzerland or Germany! Most hiking websites don’t mention this place, because it isn’t included in the official trail. You need to go “off trail” for about 15 meters.
Unfortunately the steam train didn’t run when I was there due to Covid-19 restrictions, but the track alone and its surroundings were beautiful and fun to explore. You can check the train’s timetable here.
From the train track the path gets steeper leading to the Roche aux Faucons, meaning Falcon Rock. I don’t think you will see a lot during summer, when the trees are covered with leaves. But in autumn when the leaves are falling and especially during winter you’ll get a great view of the village Olloy and its quarry.
Then the hike continues to Fondry des Chiens. Belgium’s truly unique piece of nature! Fondry des Chiens is a chasm of about 100 m long. It has a depth of 20 m and it was probably formed by the effect of acid rain on the limestone layers. The view of this small grey colored canyon surrounded by the colorful trees is absolutely splendid during autumn. You can also enter the canyon via a path to get a closer look of the deep cracks.
After exploring Belgium’s “Grand Canyon”, this beautiful hike in the Belgian Ardennes continues back to Nismes. You’ll cross a bridge over the river L’Eau Noire to reach the Arboretum of Nismes. This forest was planted to check which trees would be able to grow best in the limestone region. They became so big that you can no longer see their leaves or fruits. Nameplates were removed and it now looks more like a regular forest.
You’ll end the hike by arriving back at Nismes, passing the ruins of the old Pont d’Avignon castle.
Hérou
Distance: 3.2 km
Indication: the first 500m you follow the red white sign of the GR path
Start/end: path across the hotel Les Cinq Ourthes
Parking: parking lot next to restaurant Le Belvédère
Highlights: views on the Ourthe river and the Hérou rock
This is a short but rather difficult hike. First you follow the red-white signs of the GR path. These take you to a rocky path at the edge of the cliffs of the Hérou rock formation. You will be in awe seeing the views of the Ourthe from here. But make sure you stay attentive, because some parts of the path are slippery or difficult. A woman fell down the rocks not too long ago and died.
Then you will need to descent using a chain. I wasn’t able to do this part of the hike yet, since it is undoable when the weather is wet. But when the weather is dry you can continue the hike along the river banks of the Ourthe. Sometimes you will need to climb over a fallen tree or a rock, but this part is rather easy. Two kilometers later you will need to climb up again towards the parking lot.
As soon as spring or summer has arrived I will return to do this hike!
Trôs Marets, another beautiful river hike in the Belgian Ardennes
Distance: 4.7 km
Indication: blue rectancgle
Start/end: path across the hotel Grand Champ and Ferme Libert
Parking: parking lot next to Ferme Libert; Route de la Ferme Libert, 4960 Malmedy
Highlights: river Trôs Marets
This hike is another beautiful river walk along the stream Trôs Marets. First you walk through the forest down to the river. Once you reach the river, you’ll walk right beside it. Under the first bridge you will find a beautiful waterfall. A little further you will need to hold on to cables for about 30 meters to climb over the rocks along the river. When you reach the Croix Schmitz, the hike changes since you will enter a pine forest and pass various meadows.
I loved this hike because it offered different landscapes. It was not too steep or difficult. Only the part with the cables needs good balance and strong knees!
Some extra tips for hiking in the Belgian Ardennes
- The best seasons to go hiking in the Belgian Ardennes are definitely autumn and spring. There will be a decent amount of water in the rivers and you can enjoy the colors and changes of nature.
- Even in the rain you can still go hiking; wear a rain jacket and take an umbrella in case it really starts pouring.
- Wear decent waterproof hiking shoes that prevent you from slipping. The ground is often muddy and rocks slippery.
- Take lunch with you so you don’t have to go looking for a restaurant. They are often closed during low season. That way you don’t depend on anything and a picnic in the woods is always more fun! (Take all your garbage with you please)
- Hiking alone or in pairs is always better. The more silent you are, the bigger the chance you’ll encounter wildlife!
Blog posts about Belgium that might interest you:
- Hidden gems in Belgium
- Best places to experience autumn in Belgium
- Day trips in Belgium
- The Ultimate Wallonia Road Trip: Chasing Castles & Fairy-tale Villages
- Most beautiful castles around Antwerp and where to find them
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Don’t hesitate to leave comments or questions down below!
Super, al die leuke onbekende plekken die we dankzij jou reeds ontdekt hebben. We staan er iedere keer opnieuw versteld van hoe mooi België wel niet is 😉 Een dikke merci!!
Oh dankjewel! Zo leuk om te lezen! 😊
Hi Joelle,
Today my desktop screen showed me the beauty of The Azores and it led me to your blog about them (which is amazing). I was really surprised to discover that you are from Belgium and of course I got to this nice article about Ardennes. I also live in Belgium already for 10 year and my house is right next to Ninglinspo 😉
It is a pleasure to discover with you! Thanks and keep going!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I discovered your page by chance and I love it. I live in Belgium for quite some time, and I haven´t seen many of the beautiful places you show. I´d like to do the hikes in the Ardennes you show, but I suppose some of them are not possible with dogs? For example, Trôs Marets sounds like awesome hike, but then you mention holding onto cables to climb over rocks.