state river

The river Statte is one of the most beautiful rivers, having its source in the Wihonfagne bog in the Hautes-Fagnes at an altitude of 580 m .

The "Roca de Bilisse" is an almost 50 m high vertical rock. The fracture visible in the rock is the result of uplifting and folding of the earth's crust that occurred in the geological past of this area.

In the Statte valley one can find the remains of previously invisible beech and oak forests . The shores of the place are rich in mosses and ferns. Further upstream, after the famous troll waterfall ( "Cascade des Nutons") , coniferous forest has been planted, especially in places with many jagged stones ("pierrier" ). These deposits were formed at the end of the last Ice Age around 15,000 years ago by the flow of the water-saturated melt layer (gelifluction).

The dolmen, a giant sandstone 'table' measuring 3m x 2m and weighing 17 tons, was discovered in 1887 and has amazed historians for its authenticity. Is that a dolmen from Celtic times? Nothing is less certain, but it remained a peculiarity and mystery for a long time. There are many legends about this river.

Willem Vandenameele