Panoramic walk Bouillon: The pearl on the Semois

The aim of this city walk is to visit the city of Bouillon , including three panoramic views . The latter obviously require some climbing.

A walk with a visit to the lower town of Bouillon (including the castle) can be found here .

Anyone who wants can make this walk a wonderful day trip : in the morning the climb to La Ramonette , then to the castle (possibly with a visit) and the option of lunch in the lower town . In the afternoon the loop with the climb to the Belvédère d'Auclin . You can have a coffee after the climb to Hotel Panorama , near the end of the walk. A visit to the Archéoscope Godefroid de Bouillon can end this busy day.

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 along the banks of the Semois and arrive at the Pont de la porte de France with the Trou de vanne where the tree trunks used to arrive that were transported from higher areas via the Semois.

We do not go through the tunnel but turn left onto the road to the Le Rocher de Baimont viewpoint, called "La Ramonette" . You can enjoy the unobstructed view of the river, the three bridges and the 330 meter long castle . Now follows a descent along a steep and narrow forest path , along which there are a few benches at beautiful viewpoints.

Once down, we turn right onto the path along the Semois . 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 to the loud blast of the hunting horn blowers during the fête de la chasse.

We pass the Musée Ducal and furthermore 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 the climb starts to Belvédère d'Auclin, a viewing tower that itself has a total height of 31m60 and is located at an altitude of 385 m. It rises 180m above the river . We descend a forest path to the banks of the Semois.

To observe the city from another side, we take the stairs and old railway to the Rue au dessus de la ville to a viewpoint near Hotel Panorama. A little further on at the Serenia nursing home, the Tournay-Solvay Foundation Monument stands as a window with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

We now descend to the old tram station, the last witness of the tram connections that passed through Bouillon and for which the tunnel under the castle was built. A little further on we are back at the starting point where the Archéoscope Godefroid de Bouillon is located, which takes you through an audiovisual spectacle In the footsteps of Godefroid of 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