City walk Bouillon: The pearl on the Semois

The aim of this city guide is to visit all the sights of the lower town of Bouillon (including the castle). A more extensive panoramic walk with additional views of the city can be found here.

Start at the car park next to the Royal Athenaeum , accessible via the narrow Ruelle des Goujons. The office of the tourism office is also located here.

We walk to the old tram station, the last witness of the tram connections that passed in Bouillon and for which the tunnel under the castle was built, which we walk through a little later. But first we come to the Pont de la porte de France with the Trou de vanne where the tree trunks used to be transported from higher areas via the Semois.

Once out of the tunnel we turn right onto the path along the Semois , but not for long. Our walk now leads to the castle of Bouillon , which we can possibly visit (definitely worth it in combination with the birds of prey show) .

To fully enjoy the sunny banks of the Semois with its many terraces, we descend along the stairs and follow them to the Pont de Liege. We now explore the rest of the city center and pass the Eglise Saint Pierre et Paul , where on November 11 an animal consecration takes place in the church under the loud blast of the hunting horn blowers during the fête de la chasse.

We pass the Musée Ducal and a little further the former equestrian barracks from the time of Vauban , who was also the architect of the Bastion du Dauphin and Bastion de Bretagne , both of which we walk through. This meander of the Semois brings us back to the back of the castle.

This side of Bouillon has wonderful relaxation options in the summer with sunbathing lawns, picnic tables and a children's playground. We cross the Pont de Cordemois which replaces a former ferry service .

From here we can go to Belvédère d'Auclin , but that is not the intention of this walk. We follow the banks of the Semois upstream along the forest path until we reach the Pont de Liège again.

We now walk back to the starting point, and pass the Archéoscope Godefroid de Bouillon , which takes you through an audiovisual spectacle In the footsteps of Godefroid van Bouillon to the first crusade to Jerusalem.

Be sure to consult the information about the sights once you are there . They explain what you will see!

01/2024