WALKING POINT Semois Bouillon SHORT

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

You walk on quiet mountain paths, climb to high rocks with viewpoints, and cross the river barefoot several times at shallow crossing points.

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

  

The Ardennes and the Semois

The Ardennes consist of very old rock (primary era, 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 over 600 meters in height.

The rivers flowing through the Ardennes (Amblève, Ourthe, Lesse, Lomme, Semois) have cut deep into the landscape during the uplift of the Ardennes. This created the current landscape: a flat plateau intersected by deeply incised rivers. On top of the plateau, there are meadows; on the slopes and in the valleys, there are steep rock faces and forests.

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

  

The walk

The walk starts at the spacious parking lot in front of the castle of Bouillon, atop a meander of the Semois.

Via a beautiful path, you immediately descend to the river, which you follow along the left bank. You walk past a small campsite and then again follow a narrow path that runs alongside the river. A little further on, you turn left into a small valley to reach an elevation of 360 meters via a first climb (120 meters). The path then slowly descends over the hill until you veer right towards the river, which you cross at a shallow crossing. Check the water levels (see further) to ensure you can wade safely.

The path now runs along the bottom of the valley. First, you follow a wide forest path, then turn right toward a beautiful meadow that you follow for some time to a second crossing point.

You climb again above 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 southward to the viewpoint Pic Du Diable and further to the Point De Vue De L’épine. After that, you descend again to the river. Here, you can either wade across the Semois again or take the beautiful wooden walking bridge (Passerelle).

Afterward, you climb (140 meters) through the forest to the viewpoint Belvédère D’auclin. This is a gigantic tower for tourists offering a view of Bouillon and the castle.

Steeply descend to the river and cross it via a small bridge. Then, you climb back up the path with which you started the walk 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 recesses. This tour through the castle adds quite a few altitude meters to your already demanding day hike.

The walk takes place for more than 99% on unpaved paths in full nature. There is the ever-beautiful river, there are forests and rock formations, and there are beautiful viewpoints. This is one of the most stunning walks in Belgium.

  

When

You can only make this walk if the water levels are low enough to wade through the Semois.

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

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

Winter is not a good time to make this hike as the water levels are typically too high then. The forests are bare, and nature is dormant.

A much prettier season is spring, when the forests turn fresh green and life is everywhere in nature. Make sure to check the water levels in spring, as they can still be too high shortly after the winter season.

Autumn is also a wonderful hiking season as the autumn leaves take on all colors. In autumn, not only should you check the water levels, but also verify if there are any hunting parties organized, as parts of the route may be closed to walkers during that time.

You will 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 long; click the link below if you wish to consult the website.

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

Summer might be the best season for this walk. The water levels are almost certainly low enough, the water is at a pleasant temperature, and you can enjoy swimming in the Semois.

  

Start & endpoint

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

Castle of Bouillon, Esplanade Godefrouy 1, 6830 Bouillon.

  

Transport

By car, 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 the bus (45 min) to Bouillon.

  

Accommodation

In Bouillon, there are many 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 many campsites in Bouillon. Conveniently, Camping Ile de faigneul is a nice family campsite on an island in the Semois, which is almost on the walking route. You can also rent huts for trekkers.

  

Food and drink

There are no supplies 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 of 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 summer, there is also a show with birds of prey. If you start your day trip early in the morning, you will be done in time to visit the castle in the late afternoon.

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