Along the GR: Chateau Walzin - Aiguilles de Chaleux - Chateau de Vêves - Hermitage Saint-Hadelin

This loop-shaped day hiker visits all the highlights of the region: Chateau de Walzin, Panorama Aiguilles de Chaleux, Chateau de Vêves , and one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia, Celles, with the Hermitage Saint-Hadelin. It follows the GR wherever possible and is a very pleasant walk with 3 possible stops (4 at the weekend: Vêves Castle).

Stopovers:

- After 7 km: La Terasse du Chateau (Vêves - weekend only)

- After 10 km: Celles

- After 17 km: Gendron-Gare: Auberge de la Lesse and O Bord de la Lesse (April 1 - October 14)

- After 18 km: La Flobette : romantic on the banks of the Lesse (10am-5pm every day from mid-March to mid-November)

 

The walk is planned in such a way that it always follows part of an existing, signposted walk , or the GR:

- Start at Walzin castle. Follow the GR17 . A little further on the GR126 joins us - we follow both GRs to the left

- After the railway bridge: left uphill, GR126 variant , also blue triangle (Promenade des Aiguilles de Chaleux)

- Furfooz: follow yellow triangle (promenade du Ri des Forges). After a few hundred meters follow the GR129 to Vêves (deviate slightly to the castle and return) and further to Celles

- In Celles, initially climb out of the village via the red triangle (Promenade du Chateau de Vêves) and at the croix de Lavis switch to the blue triangle (Promenade de Lavis) until Gendron

- Gendron: follow yellow triangle (promenade du Ri des Forges) until Gendron Gare where the GR17/126/129 meet

- Gendron Gare: follow GR17/126 downstream to the starting point, Chateau de Walzin

 

Starts at the Chateau de Walzin , but can also be done at Gendron Gare , easily accessible by public transport.

We start along the GR17 and walk over the Passerelle de Walzin so that we reach the other side of the Lesse where a stunning panorama of the castle of Walzin awaits us.

A little further on, the GR126 joins the GR17, which we follow on the left over the railway bridge, after which we immediately take the GR126 variant on the left (this is also the walk with the blue triangle (Promenade des Aiguilles de Chaleux)).

We climb to the " Panorama des Aiguilles de Chaleux" after we have walked to the rocky point. We continue the road to In Furfooz where we follow the walk with the yellow triangle 'straight ahead' ( promenade du Ri des Forges ). After a few hundred meters we arrive at the GR129, which we follow on the left. Once we reach the asphalt road, we can go to the right to the Chateau de Vêves (only open on weekends - also the terrace).

We retrace our steps and continue following the GR to Celles. If you want, when entering Celles, you can take a left to the Panther tank (café/terrace), but in any case we follow the GR until the collegiate church of Saint-Hadelin. There are also a number of terraces here. What would you think of a “chausson cellois” and a nice Sint-Hadelin beer ?

We leave the GR and take the Way of the Cross to the Hermitage. This brings us to the walk indicated by a red triangle (Promenade du Chateau de Vêves), which we follow until the crossroads at the croix de Lavis (also the entrance to the Chateau de Noisy ). Where we switch to the blue triangle walk (Promenade de Lavis) to Gendron .

In Gendron we follow the walk with the yellow triangle (promenade du Ri des Forges) until Gendron Gare where the GR17/126/129 meet.

Gendron-Gare is a starting or stopping point for many kayakers. Here , O bord de la Lesse and Auberge de la Lesse are ideal stops to refuel before starting the last part of the walk.

We are now back on the GR17/126. We now arrive at the Reserve naturelle de Furfooz, with a little further the paying geological and archaeological Parc de Furfooz. We pass (or stop?) La Flobette, a pleasant terrace in the middle of nature for the many kayakers and hikers.

After the next bend of the Lesse we cross a railway bridge. Along the Chapelle-Saint-Nicolas we get a view of the rocks of the Cirque de Chaleux . At the Plage de Chaleux we continue to the railway bridge , which we cross and continue to follow the GR to our starting point.

 

04/2024