This tour was planned back in January with 13 participants travelling in four cars with bikes to Belgium for the start of the tour. Unfortunately, Len, Brian and Ray had to pull out close to the tour start. So now with SueP, SueC, Carol, Lin, Vanessa, Peter, Rod, David, Mick and Alistair we were able to fit into three cars for the trip. At the last minute, the hotel we were due to stay in at La Roche en Ardenne cancelled our booking due to the hotel refurbishment being incomplete, but fortunately we were able to secure other hotel rooms for that night at short notice.
So, with the problems behind us, we left Basingstoke early on Tuesday 13th June on a hot and sunny day and after a good run arrived at Dover just in the nick of time to get on an earlier ferry. The other two cars had left about 30 minutes later and had to wait for the next ferry. It was an easy run through France and Belgium to our hotel, Les Jardins De La Molignée, in Anhee where we were able to relax in the pool and hot tub before the others were able to join us. The cars were parked up for the duration and the bikes securely stored overnight. After a beer or two on the terrace in the shade, we had dinner at the restaurant next door.
Day 1 - Anhee to Huy [38 miles and 199m ascent for the e-bike group and 40 miles and 310m ascent for the others]
Next morning, after breakfast we set off along the cycleway beside the River Meuse towards Namur. In stark contrast to our local cycle routes this is a wide smooth tarmac surfaced cycleway along the edge of the river. In common with the other great trading rivers such as the Danube and the Rhine, the river has weirs at intervals to control the water level and with locks for the shipping to pass through. Just as we approached the southern outskirts of Namur, we split into two groups - an e-bike group comprising Mick, Rod, SueC, SueP, Lin and Carol and the self-powered group of David, Peter, Vanessa and Alistair. The e-bike group continued along the riverside cycleway and across the River Sambre into the centre of Namur where they were to take the cable car to the Citadel perched at the top of the cliff between the rivers Sambre and Meuse. In the meantime, the other four cycled up the steep cobbled road to the Citadel to admire the extensive views from there. After a look around at the top there was no sign of the others and their location tracking was not on, so decided to ride down the other side to meet them in the town square - a great fast descent with hairpin bends on smooth tarmac - it is used as a motorbike hill climb course. When we met up with SueC and Lin at a bar in the square, the others had just left in the cable car, so we enjoyed some alcohol-free beers whilst we awaited their return.
I had spotted an interesting new footbridge across the river, Passerelle l'Enjambee, from the viewpoint at the Citadel, so changed the route to use that bridge to cross the river, though it took two goes to find the bridge approach across a piazza. The river now turns east towards Liege so we were cycling along the south bank. There was more industrial activity along the stretch of the river all the way to Huy, most of which seemed related to quarrying. At St Maurice, the route crossed the river to the north bank for about two miles just for a change and crossed back again over a hydroelectric dam - needless to say the e-bike group took the shortcut by staying on the south bank.
Meuse cycle path
Shortly after this we detoured into the town of Andenne looking for some lunch, but as it was 2pm, we could find nothing open, so we headed for a Lidl we had spotted from the cycleway to pick up supplies. Back on the cycleway we found a couple of benches with some shade from the fierce sun to eat our picnic. We continued on the cycle path and when we next stopped for a drink, a man came out of his house and offered us ice lollies - he had bought a multi-pack from Lidl but could only manage two. As we approached Huy, we could see that the new cable car to the fort on the cliffs above the town was nearly complete, but not open yet. Originally, the intention was to have a tour around Huy, possibly stopping for a drink in the Grand Place, but they were digging up the roads and it was traffic chaos, so we headed straight through the town towards the massive cooling towers of the Tihange Nuclear Power Station visible over the edge of town. We followed the cycleway at the edge of the busy main road that skirts the power station to our overnight stop at Chateau de la Neuville. Once we had all settled in we walked to a restaurant at the nearby tennis club for dinner.
Hotel in Huy - Chateau de Neuville
Day 2 - Huy to La Roche en Ardenne [45 miles and 777m ascent]
After breakfast we all assembled in the courtyard and set off back into Huy and along the main street to pick up the start of the RAVeL L126. This led down some narrow streets beside the River Hoyeux in a steep side valley. As we turned a corner, the road was completely dug up with new drains being installed and we just about managed to squeeze past the excavator, much to the annoyance of the workers. At the end of this section, it turned into a narrow unsurfaced path that climbed up through the woods high above the river before descending back to the road and the start of the tarmac surfaced cycle path. This followed the route of a former rail line that climbed steadily to Clavier where we stopped at a Spar supermarket to stock up with supplies for a picnic lunch. Shortly after this, we were back on road on the W8 cycle route as it crossed a series of four valleys with relatively steep climbs and descents until the final steep descent into the picturesque town of Durbuy on the River Ourthe. We picnicked beside the river next to the Parc des Topiares and opposite the impressive Chateau de Durbuy. After lunch we cycled through the cobbled streets to the town centre where we stopped for a drink in the shade in one of the many outside bars.
Typical Ardennes country road
From there the route was flatter as it took us on mainly quiet roads towards Plain de Holset then descended on a track to cross the river again with a steep bumpy track off the pedestrian bridge and around a caravan park onto the concrete surfaced RAVeL. We crossed the river again in the town of Hotton and followed a busier road for a few miles to Rendeux before picking up the concrete surfaced RAVeL again through the countryside to another footbridge across the river. The route went back on the busier road again for a section before again turning off on a quiet road and into La Roche en Ardenne where there was a traffic jam due to roadworks on the bridge over the river. David and Sue were staying at the Hotel Le Liege on one side of the river whilst the rest of us were in the Hotel Les Arcades on the other side in the town centre. Once settled in and after a beer in our hotel bar, we wandered through the town and selected a restaurant beside the river for dinner.
Day 3 - La Roche en Ardenne to Libramont [31 miles and 684m ascent for the ebike group and 42 miles and 776m ascent for the others]
David and Sue joined us at our hotel and we all set off through the town in the bright sunshine on a quiet road that climbed steadily up a lovely wooded valley for the first 5 miles and then into open countryside on EuroVelo 5 to Erneuville follwed by a lovely long descent to the river at Wyompont. At this point the e-bike group [otherwise known as the shortcut group and the same as on Day 1], branched off on a more direct route to Libramont that followed the EV5 to Sainte Ode. After about a mile, they spotted a café at Camping Pont de Bergueme and stopped there for a coffee and ice cream. They were hungry again so stopped four miles further on at a supermarket in Lavacherie to stock up with food and beer for a picnic lunch They branched off the EV5 at Sainte Ode onto the RAVeL W7 and stopped beside the track in the woods to enjoy their picnic lunch. The route then was in more open countryside before entering the woods at Their du Mont just before Libramont. They checked in at our hotel and wne shopping for some wine at an adjacent supermarket.
Ebike group picnic lunch
The remaining four started on the long climb out of the valley followed by a rapid descent into the next valley in open countryside to Givroulle, then rinse and repeat for the next four valleys to Hermroulle where the route levelled out on the approach to Bastogne. As we entered the town, we diverted off along the cycle path to visit the American War Memorial on the hill overlooking Bastogne remembering the dead in WW2 Battle of the Bulge. The memorial was fenced off for some filming that restricted access but there was a nice café where we stopped for coffee and cake in the sun. Afterwards we rode through the centre of Bastogne, past the WW2 tank in the car park and picked up the RAVeL L126. This was a former rail line that is now a gravel track, rough and bumpy at times, that we followed for the next 18 miles to Libramont. We were covered in dust from the gravel track but enjoyed an end of ride glass of wine on the lawn thoughtfully provided by the others before checking in to the hotel. In the evening, after a drink at the bar, we had dinner at the adjoining restaurant. During the meal we discussed the next day’s ride to Bouillon and Charleville Mezieres. The ebike group unanimously opted to have a day off and go by train.
Day 4 - Libramont to Charleville Mezieres– [9 miles and 109m ascent plus, train 82 miles for the ebike group and 45 miles with 732m ascent for the others]
Next morning, Peter, David, Alistair and Vanessa met for breakfast where there was a fabulous choice of food, and set off as normal. The traffic was light, so we took the main road out of town to cut the corner to the cycle route. This was generally in open countryside on rolling terrain though we made good progress as it descended gradually overall. There was then a climb up from Noirfontaine to the high ground then the long steep descent into Bouillon with views of the spectacular Bouillon Castle perched on the hill at the loop in the river. We stopped at a café overlooking the river and watched the tourists in the pedalos in the form of swans and flamingos on the River Semois. We picked up some sandwiches at the Boulangerie opposite before setting off on the long climb out of Bouillon. The road twisted and turned as it climbed for the next 6 miles through the forest. We stopped at one of the many laybys overlooking the river valley below for our sandwiches. Just after Corbion, the road flattened out and we crossed the border into France. The route then used the D6 on a steady descent for the next 5 miles where it was easy to average about 25 mph. At Saint Menges, the town centre was closed off for preparations for a festival, so we diverted around the back streets to pick up the busier D6 again. Further on, the town of Vrigne aux Bois seemed to be devoid of cafes but we found an Aldi where we bought some ice cream to cool down. At the junction of the D5 and D33 we turned off the road and onto the River Meuse cycle path that we followed for the next four miles into Charleville Mezieres and through the town centre to our overnight stop at the Cesar Hotel. The bikes were stored in the garage of another hotel close to the railway station where we had a beer whilst we waited on the ebike group to arrive.
On the way to Bastogne
The ebike group had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel then set off for the railway station in Libramont a mile away. They caught the Namur train and got off at Beauraing and rode the 9 miles to Givet, stopping at the Netto supermarket on the way, to pick up supplies for a picnic lunch that they consumed at the promenade beside the river in Givet. They caught the next train from Givet to Charleville, arriving about 45 minutes after the first group arrived. In the evening we walked to the Place Ducale in Charleville and had dinner outside at one of the restaurants there.
Day 5 – Charleville Mezieres to Givet [50 miles and 218m ascent]
After breakfast we collected our bikes from the garage, assembled outside our hotel and set off past the railway station and across the river to pick up the Meuse cycle path. There was a bit of mizzle in the air so we had jackets on for the first 10 miles or so until we stopped at a café at Bogny. We continued along the River Meuse on the wonderful flat tarmacked cycle path as the river twisted and turned through the hills with steep cliffs at the sides. At Revin the cycle path went through an unlit tunnel under the cliffs.
When we crossed the river at Fumay, Mick, Peter, Vanessa, Lin and Alistair decided to go in search of a picnic lunch in the town whilst the others continued on the cycle path. As it was Sunday, the supermarkets were closed so we continued and climbed over the hill and down to the river again beside the cycle path – although a climb, it was a 2 mile shortcut. We spotted a Friterie was open so we enjoyed some frites and coffee there. We did not notice the others cycle past until they were over the bridge. We caught up with them at Haybes where they now went off in search of a café whilst we carried on, so effectively now in two groups. At Ham the route crossed the river on a road over the hill to bypass the Chooz Nuclear Power Station. We picked up the cycle path again at Chooz from where it was just a short distance to Givet our overnight stop. We all met up at our hotel and stored the bikes in the garage. In the evening we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.
Day 6 – Givet to Anhee [22 miles and 121m ascent for the main group and 36 miles and 437m ascent for the longer route]
In the morning, Peter, Vanessa and Alistair met up for an earlier breakfast as we were taking a longer route to the hotel. The route headed out of the town on the roads and across the border back into Belgium to follow the cycle path to Hermeton where it ran beside the river. It turned away from the river at Hastiere to cross the river on the road bridge. At this point, Vanessa saw a cyclist pushing her bike, so we stopped to mend her puncture before continuing. The cycle path ran out at Waulsort and the route was on the road beside the river until Anseremme where the cycle path started again and crossing the lock to the other bank. The route passed under a motorway bridge and past Rocher Bayard, a pinnacle of rock detached from the adjacent cliff. It was a short run into Dinant where we had a coffee beside the river and then found a supermarket for supplies for a picnic lunch.
Rocher Bayard
We used the cycle path on the other side of the river to Bouvignes then turned off on to a narrow, cobbled street that climbed out of the village to a road that snaked up the valley side for the next two miles or so. The route after this was on quiet roads through the rolling countryside with the occasional steep ascent and descent as it crossed the valleys. At Marderet, where there is a large and impressive Abbey, there was a steep descent to the start of the rail trail, the RAVeL L150A. Just before an old rail tunnel, we stopped for our sandwiches at a bench beside the river. We followed the RAVeL back to Anhee, passing people on the pedal powered tourist draisines that run on the rail lines beside the RAVeL.
The rest of the party had a more leisurely breakfast before setting off on the same route to Dinant where they stopped for lunch before continuing on to Anhee on the cycle path. Once back at the hotel they relaxed in the pool. David and Rod loaded the bikes on the cars in preparation for the return journey.
In the morning after packing up we headed to Calais for the ferry back. Alistair and David arrived just in time to be the last cars on an earlier ferry, whilst Rod missed out. The ferry was fairly empty so we were quickly disembarked and had easy run back to Basingstoke. It was a good trip in warm and sunny weather. The ebike group did 195 miles with 2108m ascent whilst the others did 258 miles and 3250m of ascent.