Ardennes itinerary
When starting in Namur, you can follow the Meuse River upstream towards Dinant, a beautiful charming town on the riverbanks in the centre of the Meuse-valley. From Dinant you can either head down south towards the Semois valley and Bouillon near the french border, or head down east through the hearth of the Ardennes. The valley of the Semois is known for its dense forests, beautiful river meanders and of course the historical town of Bouillon. From here on you can travel back up north east through the hearth of the Ardennes, or down to France or Luxembourg, wherever you’d like to go!
The so called hearth or centre of the Ardennes consists out of the region between Dinant, Durbuy and Bouillon. Durbuy is considered to be the smallest charming town in the world. Another small town worth visiting is Rochefort, not only famous for it’s abbey and beers, but also for the caves of Han-Sur-Lesse.
In the eastern part of the Belgian Ardennes you’ll find the world-famous town called Spa, well-known for it’s wellness centre and bottled water. La Roche-En-Ardenne is another small historic town with an ancient castle up the hill. Further down east you’ll reach Malmedy and the start of the “High Fens’ “The High Fens” or ‘Hautes Fagnes” in french.
If you only want to visit the eastern parts of the Ardennes, then Liege will be your gateway. Although the city might look grim at first sight, it’s well worth the visit if you can scratch the surface!