5 ideas for a winter walk in the Ardennes

Looking for a winter walk in the Ardennes? There’s so much choice. Here are some of my personal favourites.

Before you consider going on a winter walk in the Ardennes, I feel obliged to give you three warnings. First, there is a high chance that you will become addicted, because the Ardennes is a wonderful region for walking. It’s accessible by car or train (in certain areas); there are hundreds of well-marked walking routes of various lengths; the scenery is breathtaking; the nature is fascinating; and yet you are never too far from a café, hotel or village shop. In other words, once you have walked in the Ardennes, your free weekends may never be the same again.

Second, be prepared for sudden changes in the weather. I have set off in glorious sunshine to find myself in a hail storm just an hour later. In addition, the higher you ascend, the colder will be that chill wind. So dress for the worst eventuality. For a winter walk, this means warm clothing, sensible footwear, a waterproof coat, gloves and a hat. Take sufficient water and snacks; personally I like to take a thermos flask of hot soup.

Third, take a detailed walking map, either on your phone or GPS device or a printed one. The latter are readily available from most bookshops and tourist offices. Plan in advance to know where you intend to walk, and the length and duration of your route. This will help avoid unpleasant surprises, especially if you are taking children with you.

So, armed with these hopefully helpful warnings, it’s time to pack up your backpack and go. But where? Here are five personal favourites.

Baraque michel

Baraque Michel is one of the more popular starting points for a winter walk in the Ardennes. So you might want to choose your day carefully. On a sunny Sunday after a sprinkling of snow you might find the car park full and your idea of a peaceful walk in solitude a distant dream. However, at other times you may find yourself totally alone. On this post I give detailed information of how to reach Baraque Michel and two suggestions of where to walk.

Hertogenwald Forest, Eupen

I am particularly fond of this area as it was my first encounter with the Ardennes. It offers a splendid mixture of landscapes: impenetrable, silent, coniferous forests; deserted moorland stretching to the horizon; and picturesque babbling brooks. It can be reached by taking the N67 south-east from Eupen.

Halfway to Monschau is the Ternell Nature Centre. This old forester’s house was built in 1770 and transformed two hundred years later into a museum and information centre. I recommend the route heading north-east from the nature centre into the forest. Next to the nature centre is a cosy tavern serving excellent snacks. When ordering, don’t forget that you are in German-speaking Belgium!

Here are more details of a 8 km walk from the Ternell Nature Centre and a longer 19 km hike. The first time I walked these routes I had to cross the River Getzbach by taking off my boots and socks and wading across. When I returned a few years later, I was quite disappointed to find a bridge had been installed. But my feet were drier!

Bonus walk: Another lovely walk in this area starts from just down the road from the Ternell Nature Centre. This walk goes along the picturesque Helle river valley and then alongside the Eupen reservoir. It’s 12 km in total and I thoroughly recommend it. Below are a few pics. Check the details of the walk here:

The Hoëgne River Valley

I have enjoyed walking along many river valleys in the Belgian Ardennes, but I have to admit that the Valley of the Hoëgne  is the prettiest I have found so far. It has to be seen to be believed; any photo doesn’t do it justice. I’ve written about it in more detail here. In that post I describe a 10 km walk that takes in the surrounding countryside. Highly recommended.

River Ourthe, La Roche-en-Ardenne

If you want to make a weekend of your trip to the Ardennes, La Roche-en-Ardenne is an excellent base from which to explore the River Ourthe, as it offers numerous hostels, gites, B&Bs, hotels and restaurants.

Most people walking in this area will be drawn to the well-known sights of the Nadrin Belvedere, the Nisramont Dam, Saint Margeurite’s Cross and the confluence of the two Ourthes (Orientale and Occidentale). All of these are well worth visiting, but if like me you prefer to steer away from the crowds, then I would recommend trying one of the less popular but equally outstanding walks from the villages of Maboge, Grande Mormont or Bonnerue.

A personal recommendation is the 8 km Champs Thomas walk from Maboge. Below is a scan of the route, which you can also download and print.

It starts from the car park by the bridge over the River Ourthe and then goes south, following the yellow diamonds. Halfway, make a small diversion to the Croix du Pied Monti for some great views. On the last quarter of the walk, take care as some of the descents down from the hills to the river are a bit steep and can be slippy in wet weather.

UPDATE: Below is a digital version of the map of the route which you can click to embiggen, download as a PDF and get the GPX track from RouteYou.

Anlier Forest

Even deeper into the Ardennes, between Martelange and Habay-la-Neuve in the province of Luxemburg, is the huge 7000-hectare Anlier Forest, one of the biggest forests in the country. Its northern slopes reach an altitude of 517 metres and are drained by the tributary streams of the River Sûre, which flows into Germany as the Sauer and eventually into the Moselle. The forest is so vast that parts of it are virtually unexplored. Living in its deeper recesses are deer, wild boar, badgers, foxes and wildcats.

The Anlier Forest tourist agency suggests seven circular walks in different areas of the forest. I have not personally tried them but they all look interesting and are of varied lengths:

• Beautiful valley: Heinstert — 8 km
• Between forest and grassland: Fauvillers — 12 km
• Peace and serenity: Heinstert — 14 km
• Deep in the forest: Hablay-la-neuve — 15 km
• The treasures of the Misbour: Fauvillers — 16 km
• The forest of Neufchateau: Marbehan — 17 km
• In the Kingdom of the Black Stork: Martelange — 21 km

UPDATE: The GPX route downloads on their website are not always working. So I’ve made a separate post on walking in the Anlier Forest with all these routes as downloadable PDFs along with links to get the GPX files.

Any questions?

These are just brief suggestions for a winter walk in the Ardennes. If you have any questions about any of these walks, or would like an idea for a walk in another region of the Ardennes, just drop me a line. Denzil