The Semois

The Semois (Walloon: Simwès, in France: Semoy, outdated German: Sesbach) is a right tributary of the Meuse.

The river originates in Belgian Lorraine and flows out onto French territory into the Meuse. The river is 190 km long, of which 20 kilometers are in French territory, where the name of the river is spelled Semoy. In Belgium, it flows mostly through the province of Luxembourg, with the rest in the far southeast of Namur (through the Semois Forest and the Houille). It thus forms the southern border of the Ardennes. The watershed measures 1329 km², of which 1229 km² is in Belgium. Since 2022, part of the valley has been protected as the National Park Vallée de la Semois.

The Semois springs in Arlon, where the source was uncovered in 1966 and is open for viewing. It flows westward, parallel to the national border, which is crossed beyond Bohan. For most of its course, from Chiny to the mouth, the river meanders significantly. The straight-line distance from the source to the mouth is only 70 km, but the total length of the river is nearly three times that due to the many meanders.

Avontuurlijke Wandelingen