The country of the Forest of Anlier

With an area of more than 7,000 hectares, the Anlier Forest is one of the largest forests in Belgium. It covers the ridge that separates the Rhine and Meuse basins and is a natural refuge for several large mammals such as deer, roe deer and wild boar. The fox, the wild cat and several mustelids are also at home and even the beaver would be found there. This walk explores a small part of this huge forest of the village of the same name. Go to the village church, the church of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, in Anlier, district of Habay (V). From the roundabout at the bottom of the church and the cemetery, go up the rue du Poteau towards the main road (sign Sous les Bouleaux). On the N40, turn right then left into the Chemin de la Fagne du Loup and then after 250 meters at the T-junction on the right. • On the left, you will soon have a Norwegian spruce forest planted and immediately after a riding school, Woodland Ranch 1. The landscape is now open and wide and the asphalt track has become a paved country road. Yellow broom and white mugwort stand out nicely on green fields and dark green forests. Ignore two right turns, a side road to the left and another exit to the right and walk directly into the forest through an old open gate. Walk in the forest after a few hundred meters right on a wide muddy forest road (post with plaque with yellow-orange C). The forest road, as can be seen on the tracks, was probably reopened recently with a large forestry machine. After 300 meters at the T-junction, turn left onto a wider, better-maintained forest road. • The mixed forest is beautiful and on the edge are woods and foxglove. The forest road begins to descend considerably after just over a kilometre and takes you to the Arlune stream. First ignore the exit on the left, go straight on the water on 2, then immediately turn left and go up along the stream. On the left of a tree are red and white GR signs and a yellow plaque with various red letters and numbers. The wide forest road winds along the stream. In the edge are clover sorrel, the great wall and Robert's grass and there are many thick-headed butterflies and fountain maidens. • After more than a kilometre at a forest road intersection (with another yellow plaque with red letters and numbers), walk straight. The steep banks on the other side have meanwhile become flatter wet meadows. After another mile and a half, shortly after a left turn at right angles, you arrive at a crossroads. Leave the forest road, which you have followed for almost 3 kilometers, and turn left onto the narrower and lower forest road. This immediately brings you back to the Ruisseau d'Arlune 3 and starts to climb. You walk here between lots of broom and young spruce. Just before leaving the forest after about a kilometer, you walk along an old open fence again. Once out of the forest, cross the wide field road at the crossroads and walk straight ahead (again a pole with an image with an orange-yellow C). Almost a kilometre further, you have on the right the Ancienne Carrière d'Anlier 4, a former quarry, where frogs are now mainly heard. • Walk straight. The country road is now a wide asphalt track. Turn right at the T-junction and after 300 metres you will return to the N40. Cross the main road, turn left and after 50 meters right, return to the village church. Take the opportunity to visit the Notre-Dame de l'Assomption church. The choir dates from the sixteenth century and in the porch is a beautiful baptismal font dating from around the year 1600.