La Vecqée

La Vecquée (a name derived from the 'the road of the Bishop') is an ancient Gallic road that has become a Roman road. It passes through the territory of the Ardean municipality of Stoumont, in the south-east of the province of Liège, and then reaches Baraque Michel, one of the highest places in the Haute-Ardenne, and takes the ridge between Hoëgne and Statte near Hockai.
In the Middle Ages, this important road, which went together with another one (the Via Mansuerisca) near Baraque Michel, was used by the princess-bishops who went to the abbeys of Stavelot and Malmedy. The Vecquée also exists between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Belgium and Prussia between 1815 and 1920, i. e. until the Treaty of Versailles.
La Vecquée starts in Liège and runs through Chênée, Beaufays and Deigné to Hautregard under the name of Liège. Then he passes by Ver Buisson and changes direction at the crossroads of Wathy of Wathire. This ancient Gallic road, the "Vecquée", became Roman Steenweg when Romans conquered Gauls in 57 BC Gauls. On the hills of Monthouet they built a fortified camp to guard the Amblève valley. They called the camp "Pansia" or "Panssîre". On the plateau of Baraque Michel la Vecquée joins the Via Mansuerisca, which appears in a document from 670: Childeric II, King of Austrasia from 662-675, which officially confirms the borders of the abbey, which Sigebert III, king of Austrasia from 634-656, sold to Saint-Remacle and its monks in 650.From this plateau, the Vecquée divides two water basins: north of Wezer and its tributaries (Gileppe, Hoëgne and Wayai) and south of Amblève and its tributaries (Warche and Roannay).
When Stoumont crosses the Liège-Bastogne-Liège cycling race, climbing the Route de Spa is called "La Vecquée". For cyclists: In this region, the ascent from the Targnon bridge (157m) to Grand Sart (517m), which is an increase of 330m, 6.2km long and with an average climb rate of 5.3%.
The Vecqée is located on a high plateau at a height of just over 500 metres. It is bounded by a vegetation consisting of peat marshes, similar to those in the High Fens. There are also blueberries, cranberries and cranberries.

Willem Vandenameele