Rocroi Aublain (3)

From Rocroi back to Aublain: the third stage of a three-day tour through the Fagne. The route was checked in March 2016. Note: On the map, the tour runs in the opposite direction. So just turn it around!
From the barracks and fortress town of Rocroi, we head north back to the border (about 3 km). The first part of the tour leads through an open landscape. Although we descend about 200 meters between departure and arrival, there are some strenuous climbs on the route. The first one is located on Rue du Petite Chapelle. The dullest part of this stage is the 2 km stretch along the N964. Originally, you could walk through the forest east of the road, but large sections are (now) fenced-off private property, forcing us to walk (briefly) along the main road or take the detour via Rue des Parçonniers. The destination is Brûly-de-Pesche, where Hitler’s bunker is located, from which he directed the attack on France in 1940.
After a possible visit, we continue directly into the forest. Here we need to be cautious at Taille Talmide, where the footpath (blue rectangle) has been diverted, likely due to forestry work. After the campsite at Ferme Capitaine, we encounter the steepest ascent of the day. At the top, we briefly go onto the main road before soon taking a parallel path. This way, we finally reach Gonrieux. After this village, we cross the main road between Chimay and Couvin. Anyone using hiking GPS can now simply go straight ahead for another kilometer to soon reach Aublain through the fields. Without GPS, it’s better to follow Rue Neuf-Maisons and Rue Baillieux.