Beautiful Belgian ride: 120 km between Condroz and Ardennes

It's slowly starting to smell like the end of the season, guys! The days are getting shorter, the tractor-crazy people sometimes talk about our motorcycle trip being covered in a nice layer of mud, the mornings are fresh, and the return “fresh” truly lives up to its name. Autumn is here! How about one last ride before the first winter service comes? We will take you between Condroz and the Ardennes, both from Liège.

As is often the case with the best ideas, the idea for this ride also came about a bit by chance. That was a few weeks ago. We were in the French Ardennes exploring, near Signy l'Abbaye (on the holiday route, the famous D985, which runs from Couvin to Rethel, can you imagine?). At around 11:30 AM, Tche (alias Thierry Dricot, our photographer) said to us: “Guys, we are stopping here. I can't work under these conditions!” It must be said that the mentioned conditions were nearly apocalyptic: a sky so black, downpours that were at times so heavy that we had to retreat to the first barn or the first available shed several times. In short, a “bad” day that inevitably dampens the mood.

To lift our spirits again (the spirits, not the socks!), we decide to grab a bite to eat at Launois-sur-Vence, at “Val de Vence,” a place we already told you about in the context of our BBB dedicated to the fortified churches in Thiérache. In front of a good plate of various appetizers, we slowly return to life, and the conversation turns to the joys of the table. Tche, being a true Liège resident, enjoys it, and we start talking about the culinary specialties of the Cité Ardente. When we ask him where to eat the best Boulets with Liège sauce, he simply replies: “At my place!” And the man immediately invites us and adds: “And for the route of the BBB that we will do the next day, I’ll take care of it.” Going in search of the prettiest roads in Condroz and the Liège Ardennes, guided by a true local, is indeed a plan that cannot be rejected. And so it was that after tasting the best Liège salad of our careers (as for the Boulets, that’s just postponed, Tche assured us!), we ended up in the nice little town of Ouffet, at the border between Condroz and Ardennes… However, one little disappointment remains: despite all our efforts, we weren’t able to get Tche to reveal the recipe for his famous Liège salad, but this dish had another merit, namely to provide the title of this text!

The Néblon, that’s good...

The setting is in place, it's time to go. After slurping our traditional morning coffee at “Chrome,” an ideally located establishment at the first intersection in Ouffet when coming from Huy (right next to the Esso gas station, where you can refuel, as options for fueling on the route are not legion), we drive a bit through the beautiful valley of Néblon to reach Durbuy, having passed near Tohogne. Tche did not deceive us... It’s beautiful, very beautiful, and winding, just as we love it! A tractor, which “doesn't know the road code,” is going to give us quite the hard time here. It must be said that it was pulling not just one but two huge trailers. The whole setup was slightly over 20m long and had no signage whatsoever… With our numerous stops for photos, it will hold us up no less than three times! Before Durbuy, we take a break in front of a memorial honoring American flyers who were shot down here in 1944. They deserve to be remembered in this year of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing and the liberation...

Durbuy now opens its arms to us: the smallest town in Belgium is an ultra-touristy spot. One should avoid going there on weekends. And don't forget your knowledge in Vondel's language: Dutch has become the language of communication here, or almost… We cannot list all the tourist attractions of the town in detail (see www.durbuy.be), but we would still like to mention the Topiary Park by the banks of the Ourthe. An occasion for a pause, as green as it is soothing… For those who don’t know: topiaries are plant sculptures. This is a very old art whose origins date back to Roman times. After that, it nearly disappeared before being brought back into the spotlight during the Renaissance. While boxwood is naturally one of the most commonly used plants, other plant species are also well suited for this practice (yew, laurel, holly…). More info at www.topiaires.durbuy.be

When leaving Durbuy, don’t miss the chance to lean your motorcycles: you will enjoy a splendid and unique view of the town and the Ourthe valley. More pleasant than the town itself, in our humble opinion.

Barvaux-sur-Ourthe isn't far anymore. We quickly pass through it to enter the Aisne valley, known for its friendly tourist tram (see www.tta.be), which uses a section of an authentic Ardennes connection railway. Nice, but that’s more of a thing for nice days, less in November. We pass underneath the impressive Blier Castle, which unfortunately faces a huge and terrible campsite. For the harmonious integration of such places in Wallonia, it is evident that much work remains to be done...

Stepping out of the touristy Ardennes

The roads become (a bit) straighter near Dochamps and Samrée, with a short detour on the large N89, before curving again friendlier towards Odeigne, Oster, and Manhay. What a joy to ride through our Ardennes this autumn, which still feels very summery. The wooded sections are a delight, but still avoid the major danger: a deer crossing the road, we have experienced that already… We prefer the idea of “riding strongly around the curves,” meaning at a dynamic pace that still allows room for unforeseen circumstances… And then, there’s not just the wildlife, but also the surprising gravel plates. We actually encountered some of those… The Ardennes here are much less touristy than in Durbuy or La Roche and that is much better for us: the pleasure of having a conversation with the machine on a beautiful route where it can show you its best while you strive to steer your motorcycle properly, as it deserves.

Just before Bomal, where we find the Ourthe valley again, we pass near Ozo and its goat farm, which has been breeding “chamois-colored” alpine goats for 25 years now. Lovers of good cheeses won’t hesitate to take a detour (off the roadbook). It is open all year round and is an opportunity to bring home high-quality products that honor the region and Walloon know-how. More info at www.chevreriedozo.be

Upon leaving Bomal-sur-Ourthe, we are unfortunately unlucky, the road we need to take is closed due to construction work. Since it’s a weekday and very few people are out, we’ll give it a shot… Going cautiously! We chat a bit with the workers, who tell us that the work will be finished soon. You don’t have to look for a detour for you, dear readers! In Vieuxville, we leave the province of Luxembourg (“beautiful holiday region”) to return to the province of Liège (“the future pushes”). We continue on to Filot, which reminds us of the books by René Hénoumont, one of the best Walloon “regionalist” writers (a delight for those interested in life in the Ardennes before World War II), and then to Hamoir, where we find the Ourthe again, which, like today as in yesterday, irresistibly invites to trout fishing… Hénoumont, who has now passed away, would not be totally lost if he came back to cast his line in Hamoir-Lassus.

One more layer

Just before Comblain-Fairon, it would be possible to cut back directly over the N66 to return to Ouffet and close the loop. But since that’s too little for us, we decided to show you a bit more, and not of the usual kind, believe us! The village of Anthisnes deserves a stop to, with moderation of course, taste an excellent “Cervoise de l'Avouerie d'Antismes,” the local beer. And the Avouerie itself is a medieval and impressive building that lacks nothing in charm and houses an interesting beer and Péket museum! More info at www.avouerie.be

The last kilometers of this BBB take you through Poulseur and Esneux, where you leave the Ourthe valley. You will then ride through Tavier (without the “s”!) and Hody before entering the long straight that brings you back to Ouffet. From there, Huy and the E42 are only about twenty kilometers away via our Sixty-Six, which unfortunately is increasingly littered with speed traps. Safe travels and have fun. And above all, always be cautious!

Enjoyment stops

- In Ouffet, Chrome is an ideally located bistro (very close to the Esso gas station) to wait for delayed friends, as usual, and laugh about their excuses (that’s better than complaining…), while we sip a good coffee! Additionally, there’s a parking lot for motorcycles right next door.

Le Chrome, 47 rue Mognée, 4590 Ouffet. Tel.: 086/36.75.36.

- It is in Vieuxville, almost at the end of our route, that we had lunch. Le Vieux Logis is a very friendly tavern-restaurant set up in an old Ardennes building from 1763. The hospitality of Félix and Catherine is nice, there is a terrace when the weather is nice, you can easily park your motorcycle, and most importantly, you eat well (Ardennes specialties)! Note, it is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays in the off-season.

Le Vieux Logis, 1 route de Logne, 4190 Vieuxville. Tel.: 086/45.54.31 or 0478/32.44.09