Ourthe

The Ourthe is a tributary of the Meuse.

The river originates from the confluence of the Western Ourthe, which springs near Libramont, and the Eastern Ourthe, which begins near the village of Ourthe close to the border with Luxembourg. Both source rivers unite at Nisramont. From here it is referred to as the Upper Ourthe (Haute-Ourthe), and from La Roche-en-Ardenne as the Lower Ourthe (Basse-Ourthe).

The Basse-Ourthe passes Durbuy and subsequently takes in the Amblève and the Vesder, before flowing a few kilometers further into the Meuse in Liège.

Around 1820, under the impetus of William I of the Netherlands, work began on a canal that would connect the Meuse basin with the Moselle basin via the Ourthe across the Ardennes. The independence of Belgium in 1830 brought an end to these plans. The most important remnant of this work is the unfinished canal tunnel at Bernistap (province of Luxembourg). Until the early 20th century, there was still shipping on the Lower Ourthe, as evidenced by the lock at Poulseur (province of Liège).

(source: wikipedia)

Sarah De Keyzer