GR 571 Stage 4: Trois-Ponts to Vielsalm

Route at a glance

• Distance: Approx. 20 km (12.4 miles)
• Elevation gain: Approx. 790 m (2,591 ft): this is a challenging stage
• Duration: 6-7.5 hours walking time
• Difficulty: Hard – steep climbs, mixed terrain, some rough sections
• Start: Trois-Ponts railway station (served by Liège-Luxembourg line)
• End: Vielsalm railway station (same line)
• Best season: March to October
• Villages en route: La Neuville, Rochelinval, Petit-Halleux, Grand-Halleux
• GPX / map: Available on RouteYou or Wikiloc etc.

Stage Four: Where the Ardennes shows off

There is a particular kind of morning that belongs only to the Ardennes. Cool, pine-scented, with mist sitting in the valleys and the world not quite awake yet. That was the morning I set off from Trois-Ponts to walk Stage 4 of the GR 571. It’s one of Belgium’s most rewarding long-distance footpaths, looping through the legendary landscape of the Hautes Fagnes and the Vallées des Légendes.

This stage, running roughly 20 km south along the Salm valley to Vielsalm, is a lovely route. The forests deepen. The views from the ridges above the river are gorgeous. And the villages you pass through such as La Neuville, Rochelinval, Petit-Halleux and Grand-Halleux are cute and interesting historically.

I walked it in early April. There was still a chill in the air, but spring was unmistakably arriving. It turned out to be a day of small dramas, unexpected wildlife, and (at the very end) one of the coldest nights of my life. But we’ll come to that.

Getting there

The GR 571 is well-served by public transport on its early stages. Trois-Ponts sits on the Liège–Luxembourg railway line, making it easy to reach by train from Liège, Brussels, Namur, or Luxembourg. Vielsalm, your destination, is on the same line, so the return journey is equally painless.

There is no need for a car on this stage. This is one of the GR 571’s great advantages (at least on its southbound route). You can complete it independently, stage by stage, using the railway as your lifeline.

The Walk: Trois-Ponts to Vielsalm

The climb out of Trois-Ponts

Many stages of the GR 571 seem to begin the same way: a steep climb up from the valley floor into the forests above. Stage 4 is no exception, though this particular ascent starts as a narrow, somewhat precarious track along the side of a steep hill. It’s more sheep path than proper trail in places. The gradient is unforgiving and there is no easing into it. If you have not walked much recently, this will remind you that you have legs.

Once through the initial climb, the path broadens and the Ardennes forest takes over. It is the kind of walking that empties the mind: rhythmic, quiet, punctuated only by birdsong and the occasional sound of water somewhere below.

The ridge walk and valley views

From the high ground, the views across the Salm valley are spectacular. This is the Ardennes at its most cinematically beautiful: rolling forested hills, the silver thread of the river below, no visible roads, no noise. On a clear spring morning with the new leaves just breaking, it is hard to imagine anywhere more peaceful.

One note of caution: in at least one section the trail doubles as a streambed after rain. In wet weather, waterproof boots are not optional.

Descending to the Salm

The route eventually descends from the heights to follow the River Salm, which, confusingly, is also sometimes called the Glain in its upper reaches. The riverside walking is gentler and very beautiful. The Salm is a clear, fast-moving river, well-stocked with fish according to the information boards along the way, and backed by steep wooded hillsides that shelter the valley from wind.

The path threads through a sequence of small villages (La Neuville, Rochelinval, Petit-Halleux, Grand-Halleux) each with its own quiet character and its own wartime memorial. The area around nearby Wanne also warrants attention: this stretch of the valley saw some of the most intense fighting of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.

Wildlife: A stoat, signs of badgers, and spring flowers

One of the genuine pleasures of walking in April is that the Ardennes is waking up. Two weeks earlier there had been snow on the ground at this altitude. Now: brimstone butterflies slow from the cold but unmistakably alive, lesser celandine and coltsfoot along the path edges, larch trees just beginning to flower.

And then, unexpectedly, a stoat. It appeared on the path ahead, studied me with frank curiosity for an unusually long time, and eventually vanished into the undergrowth. It was one of those moments you cannot plan and cannot quite believe while it is happening.

A little further on, I saw what I suspected were the broad five-toed prints of a badger in soft mud by the river.

A nearby information board confirmed that badgers, foxes, deer, and several other species inhabit this section of forest. However, as I always remind myself, a board listing animals is not a promise of sightings. Most of them are nocturnal and sensibly keep themselves hidden.

The history along the way

Walking through the Salm valley, it is impossible to ignore the wartime memorials that appear at intervals along the route. Plaques on walls, small monuments in village squares, the occasional rusting vehicle or marker. This entire stretch of the Ardennes was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the Second World War.

The Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 to January 1945)

In December 1944, Germany launched its last great offensive on the Western Front. It was the Ardennes Counteroffensive, known to history as the Battle of the Bulge. The Salm River, flowing quietly below you as you walk, was one of the most strategically critical boundaries in all of Europe during those weeks.

Vielsalm itself was the headquarters of the American 7th Armored Division during the critical days of the German offensive. American forces were trying desperately to hold the Salm River line against the advancing II SS Panzer Corps, which had swept through after the fall of St. Vith. The villages of Grand-Halleux and Petit-Halleux, which you pass through on this walk, were taken by the Germans, then retaken by the 82nd Airborne Division and 75th Infantry Division during the Allied counterattack in January 1945.

Vielsalm was finally liberated on 15-16 January 1945. A Sherman tank on Avenue de la Salm in the town centre commemorates the American 7th Armored Division’s role in the battle. Today the Bulge Relics Museum on the outskirts of Vielsalm is well worth a visit if you have time before or after your walk.

The Counts of Salm

Before the tanks and the paratroops, this valley had a different kind of power. The name Salm itself comes from the German word for salmon. The double salmon still appears on the coat of arms of Vielsalm, a reference to the Counts of Salm who ruled the region from the 11th century until the French Revolution. Their story is not one of great European drama, but it is quietly woven into every village name and every stream crossing along this route.

Arriving in Vielsalm

Vielsalm is a pleasant, unpretentious town set around a small lake, surrounded by forested hills.

It has everything you need for an overnight stop: a railway station, accommodation, restaurants, and a good supermarket for resupplying. The Bulge Relics Museum and the Sherman tank memorial are both worth seeking out if you have energy left after the walk.

The town also hosts an annual witch festival, the Macrâlles Sabbath, and a blueberry festival, both in July, if you want an excuse to return in a different season.

Where to stay in Vielsalm

Vielsalm has several accommodation options including hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs. For camping, Camping de la Zalm is the local campsite – bring your own tent if you stay here, and pack an extra layer whatever the season. Grand-Halleux, 3 km north, also has accommodation options if you prefer a quieter base.

Here are two B&Bs in Vielsalm and one in Grand-Halleux that I can recommend:

• B&B Les Tilleuls: “We spent a relaxing weekend in this charming house. Lovely room and very pleasant common areas with a beautiful fireplace. The hosts are very friendly and helpful.”
• Le Grand Pont: “We enjoyed our short 1-night stay. Very high-quality bedroom! The living room is very nice. High-quality billiards and foosball!”
• Le Lodge des Flâneurs (Grand-Halleux): “We had a great mini holiday in le Lodge, very cosy and well decorated, a very comfortable bed and great breakfast! Thanks for the great hospitality.”

The other stages of the GR 571

The GR 571 is a circular long-distance footpath covering approximately 165 km. You can read about some of the other stages here:

• Stage 1: Comblain-au-Pont to Aywaille
• Stage 2: Aywaille to Stoumont
• Stage 3: Stoumont to Trois-Ponts
• Stage 5: Vielsalm to Gouvy
• Stage 6: Gouvy to Verleumont

A final note

I first walked this stage in April 2016, on one of those days that stay with you. A stoat on the path. Badger prints in the mud. The Ardennes in its first tentative week of spring. A smashed camera. And then, that night in Vielsalm, the coldest caravan in the history of camping.

I ended up wearing every item of clothing I had – hat included – in my sleeping bag, and still shivered until 5 a.m. when I finally gave up and went to stand under a hot shower for as long as a one-euro jeton would allow.

I will not be recommending that particular campsite. But the walk itself was glorious. I especially lovedthe views from the ridge above the Salm, the riverside path through the villages, and the silent forests. I would recommend Stage 4 of the GR 571 without hesitation. It was one of my finest days’ walking in Belgium.