Around the Ourthedal: Condroz and Ardennes

This track starts in Esneux, in the large car park along the river Ourthe.
You follow the trail counterclockwise, which means you enter the Condroz first. The Condroz is a region with a lot of agriculture and hills that extend in a southwest/northeast orientation. Between the hills there are often small forests, country houses and castles. To Durbuy, the smallest town in Belgium, you cycle through the Condroz. Apart from the first steep climb near Esneux (the Mur de Strivay), the climbs are not too bad. There is also a long descent from the village of Ouffet to the valley of the Neblon River.

After crossing the beautiful and very touristy town of Durbuy (and crossing the river Ourthe), you pedal in the Ardennes. Climbing work becomes more serious, including climbs:
- by Mur de Durbuy,
- in Izier,
- at Rouge Minière.
After the Rouge Minière, there is a long descent via Xhoris towards the Ourthe valley (this road was largely resurfaced in September 2017). You follow the concrete cycle path along the Ourthe for a few kilometers (to avoid the busy main road). From Comblain-au-Pont, there is a beautiful ascent to the village of Mont. After its descent, another climb follows to the village of Le Sart, with a beautiful view of the rock formations around the Ourthe valley at the top. There is still a steep descent to Poulseur and again the cycle path along the Ourthe, which takes you back to Esneux.

My GPS recorded 300 altimeters more than calculated by routeyou.