WALKING POINT Semois Bouillon

This hike is an adventurous journey through the valley of the Semois, a fantastic valley in the most remote natural area of Belgium.

You walk on quiet mountain paths, climb to high rocks with viewpoints, and several times cross the river barefoot at shallow crossing points. You walk over the Tombeau du Géant, one of the most beautiful meanders of the Semois, and you take the 'laddertjespad', the most adventurous path in Belgium.

The hike starts and ends at the medieval castle of Godfried van Bouillon, which you can visit after the hike.

 

The Ardennes and the Semois

The Ardennes consist of very old rock (Primary period, up to 500 million years old) that has been deformed and folded by various mountain formations. During the Alpine mountain formation, the Ardennes rose along with the Alps, reaching heights of more than 600 meters.

The rivers that flow through the Ardennes (Amblève, Ourthe, Lesse, Lomme, Semois) have carved deep valleys during the uplift of the Ardennes. This has created the current landscape: a flat high plateau intersected by deeply carved rivers. On the plateau, there are meadows, while steep rock walls and forests line the slopes and valleys.

The hike explores the beautiful valley of the Semois, which meanders through the plateau with many curves. On one of those meanders stands the castle of Bouillon. The valley of the Semois has been protected since 2022 as National Park de la Semois.

 

The hike

The hike starts at the spacious parking lot for the castle of Bouillon, on top of a meander of the Semois.

Via a beautiful path, you descend immediately to the river, which you follow along the left bank. You walk past a small campsite and then follow a narrow path that runs alongside the river. A little further, you turn left into a small valley to reach an elevation of 360 meters via the first climb (120 meters). The path then gradually descends over the hill to the viewpoint Point De Vue Roche Aux Eperviers. After that, you descend further to the river, which you cross via a ford. Check the water levels (see below) to ensure that you can safely wade across.

On the other side of the river, there is another steep climb (140 meters) via an adventurous path, Les Echelles. This path is one of the most adventurous paths in Belgium. It got its name because there are several steel ladders attached that you use to climb a steep rock face. You do not need to be an experienced climber to walk this path; it really isn’t as difficult as it seems.

Once at the top, you descend again to the Semois, where you reach a beautiful spot that is perfect for a picnic and a refreshing swim. The path now runs lower in the valley. First, you follow a wide forest path, then you turn right to a beautiful meadow that you follow for a considerable time until you reach a second crossing place.

You climb a third time to the top of a meander. This is the Tombeau du Géant, one of the most beautiful meanders in Belgium. We do not follow the path to the meander but walk south towards the viewpoint Pic Du Diable and further to Point De Vue De L’épine. Afterwards, you descend again to the river. Here you can wade across the Semois again or take the beautiful wooden footbridge (Passerelle).

Then, you climb a fourth time (140 meters) through the forest to the viewpoint Belvédère D’auclin. This is a gigantic tower for tourists that provides views of Bouillon and the castle.

Steeply descend to the river and cross it via a small bridge. Afterwards, you ascend again via the path with which you started the hike back to the castle of Bouillon. You can now visit the castle of Bouillon, one of the most beautiful medieval castles in Belgium. You will certainly need at least an hour to explore all the corridors, steep stairs, halls, towers, and nooks. This journey through the castle adds a considerable number of elevation meters to your already challenging day hike.

The hike runs for more than 99% over unpaved paths in unspoiled nature. There is continuously the beautiful river, there are forests and rocky areas, and there are stunning viewpoints. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Belgium.

 

When

You can only make this hike if the water levels are sufficiently low to wade across the Semois.

Therefore, check the water levels of Bouillon on the website of the Service public de Wallonie (SPW). You can only safely wade across the Semois if the flow is lower than 16 m³/sec.

Click here for the website with the flow rate of the Semois.

The winter is not a good time to take this hike because water levels are generally too high then. The forests are bare and nature is asleep.

A much nicer season is spring, when the forests turn fresh green, and there is life everywhere in nature. Be sure to check the water levels in the spring, which may still be too high shortly after the winter season.

Autumn is also a splendid hiking season because fall foliage takes on all colors. In the autumn, not only check the water levels, but also verify that no hunting party is organized, as parts of the route may be closed to hikers.

You can find information about hunting on the official website of the Département Nature et Forêt (DNF). There you can find all registered hunting parties on a map for a specific date. The domain name is quite lengthy; click the link below if you want to consult the website.

Click here for the website with info about hunting in the Ardennes.

Summer may be the best season for this hike. The water levels are almost certainly low enough, the water has a pleasant temperature, and you can enjoy swimming in the Semois.

 

Start & endpoint

The hike starts and ends at the parking lot of the castle of Bouillon.

Castle of Bouillon, Esplanade Godefrouy 1, 6830 Bouillon.

 

Transport

If you are driving, you can park in the large parking lot in front of the castle of Bouillon.

There is no train station in Bouillon. You can take the train to Libramont and then take a bus (45 min) to Bouillon.

 

Accommodation

In Bouillon, there are plenty of hotels. Particularly charming is the traditional Hotel de la Poste.

Hotel de la Poste, Place St Arnould 1, 6830 Bouillon, www.hotelposte.be

There are also numerous campsites in Bouillon. Convenient is Camping Ile de faigneul, a nice family campsite on an island in the Semois that is almost on the hiking route. You can also rent hiker cabins there.

 

Food and drink

There is no supply available along the way, but you will find an abundance of shops and restaurants in Bouillon.

 

Maps

You can buy hiking maps at the tourist office in Bouillon.

Maison du Tourisme de Bouillon, Quai des Saulx 12, 6830 Bouillon, https://www.paysdebouillon.be/nl

 

Viewpoint Le Tombeau du Géant

From this point, you have a fantastic view of the meander Tombeau Du Géant.

Viewpoint Moulin du Rivage, 6830 Bouillon

 

Restaurant Point de vue

This restaurant with a panoramic terrace has a fantastic view of the meander of Frahan.

Restaurant Point de vue, Route de Alle 3, 6830 Bouillon

 

Castle of Bouillon

The castle is open almost every day. In the summer, there is also a show with birds of prey. If you start your day trip early in the morning, you will have enough time to visit the castle in the late afternoon.

Castle of Bouillon, Esplanade Godefrouy 1, 6830 Bouillon, https://www.chateaudebouillon.com