Beautiful Belgian Hike: A Summer in Villers - Part 2 - The Villers, continuation but not there

In the Villers family, here are the parents from Luxembourg… Belgian, of course!

This July, we are heading south to dreamlike landscapes and roads of high motorcycle quality to continue our exploration of the Villers in Wallonia. Everyone in the saddle, there are BBB or beautiful, non-banal routes (!) to ride this July.

Ferrières will be our starting point. Easily accessible from the E25, the municipality gives us a hint about our previous BBB. We had stopped in Villers-le-Temple in front of the “Café des Sports.” Today we start in front of another “Café des Sports.” After leaving Ferrières, the tone is set: small roads, wide horizons, and joy for all… Villers! For we quickly reach Villers-Sainte-Gertrude. This small, pleasant municipality owes its name to its long affiliation with the Sainte-Gertrude monastery of Nivelles, between the 10th and 16th centuries. We begin a long descent south. After a few curves and hairpin bends after this first Villers, we take the N806 to cross the Bois du Pays, which does not reinvent itself.

On to the Heights

We surf from ridge to ridge, between wooded areas. The view expands, and the eyes lose themselves in the treetops. We reach the N30 to pass by the Baraque de Fraiture. The third highest point in Belgium, at 652 meters, we had benefited until then from a little cloudy blue sky. Upon our arrival at Baraque de Fraiture, the sky was gray and leaden, as if the clouds were held back by this barrier of the High Ardennes. The N30 takes us along the E25. It is astonishing to see how the highway is fenced, grid-like, imprisoned. Apart from the fact that one sees nothing, the highway has a prison-like appearance. Bah!

Achouffe and its famous brewery are just a stone's throw away. For the thirsty, we promise to come back. Just like to Houffalize, which we only cross after a long descent in wide curves. Take the time to glance at a small statue while climbing the southern slope. To your right, a figure resembles Tchantchès! But no, it is a tribute to Pogge (pronounced Poje), a famous Schaerbeekois in the 19th century, who had made it a habit to resolve all neighborhood conflicts in a friendly manner. Houffalize is twinned with Schaerbeek… Hence this homage, which led to many festive exchanges between the two municipalities. We quickly leave the town via the N30 before taking a nice road to Vissoule and Tavigny. The pavement has been completely redone for the passage of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège bike race. It must look good for the images seen from the helicopter! Let’s not let our spirits be dampened and enjoy taking the following curves in a very pleasant setting to Tavigny.

War Acquaintances

We continue our descent. Literally, we are only 488 meters above sea level now. Thank you, Tripy! We paddle over the plateaus of this beautiful province, between green pastures and wooded areas. Some villages enhance this piece: Boeur, Bourcy, or Arloncourt. We are only a few hundred meters from the Grand Duchy. The houses begin to show a different flair. The streets are narrow, the pavement in good condition, the landscape magnificent. Happiness is as simple as a motorcycle ride! We are approaching Bastogne. The entire region was the scene of intense fighting in December 1944 and January 1945.

At the entrance to Marvie, a tower of an American tank testifies to these massacres. A few more kilometers through beautiful forest masses, and we reach the village of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau in the valley. It gets its name from a wondrous spring that is said to have appeared when the villagers, desperate from a fire that had devastated their homes, began to call upon Saint Barbara, their patroness. Immediately, a spring gushed forth next to the church. The fire was then quickly extinguished. Thank you, Saint Barbara! Now we gain some height again as we skillfully navigate tight paths from hairpin to hairpin. We cross the Sûre at Strainchamps. While further north there is the famous “Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse,” here we are in the “Entre-Sûre-et-Strange”! A detour via the N848 and we arrive in the center of Fauvillers. At the pretty triangular green square, we stop to soothe our hungry stomachs after so many beautiful things. A friendly brasserie (with a copy of the local newspaper for everyone!) allows us to quickly refuel. We still have a whole lot of kilometers to go, as we are only halfway through this BBB that leads us to one of the most remote corners of Wallonia. The forest of Anlier awaits us. What a wonder! At a curve, we discover a wall of vegetation that is pierced vertically by the road. On to the attack!

The 4 Brothers

After leaving the forest, we are only a few meters from the village of Behême. Between the famous Bavarian brand and the song by Aznavour (yes: “I am speaking of a time that those under twenty cannot know… the behême meant as much as we are happy”), we couldn’t miss this village. This time, we cross the forest of Rulles. After passing under the E25 we take a little break at the oak tree of the 4 Sons Aymon. On an old, cut-off trunk, four shoots have grown before they united, like the 4 brothers. The majestic tree is said to be around 250 years old. It is 100 meters from the road. Villers-sur-Semois awaits us. It is a typical village of Gaume, with its widely spaced houses and generally flat relief. In Sainte-Marie, we are surprised by the official building of the municipality. Like most town halls in the region, it bears the inscription “Mairie” prominently. All this gives the region a pleasant French flavor. We make a short stop in Bellefontaine, more precisely at the military cemetery that lines the road. It was established by the Germans from 1917, with 527 French soldiers and 928 German soldiers buried there. They all fell during the bitter battle of Bellefontaine on August 22, 1914. The simplicity and tranquility of the place provoke reflection. Between irony and the morality of history, all these men who massacred each other for the “Fatherland” lie side by side, for all eternity. We continue the journey with heavy hearts. However, our thoughts quickly become cheerful again. Almost six kilometers of curves allow us to cross the Grand Bois de Lahage. Oh, what a delight! We pass under the railway and reach Meix-Devant-Virton. The route takes you to the church and the village center, allowing you to enjoy a beautiful view of the roofs and the course of the valley, highlighted by the road, the tracks, and the Chevralle. This little river has left its marks on the relief. Since Fauvillers, we have been near many bodies of water. The entire region is crisscrossed by streams, rivers, and other brooks: the Chevralle, which we discover, but also the Anlier, the Rulles, the Semois, the Sûre, the Strange, etc. At the foot of the church of Meix-devant-Virton, some benches invite you to linger. We enjoy a few rays of sunshine. Rocked by the muffled sounds of the valley, we take out the map to orient ourselves.

French Touch

We are now very close to Villers-la-Loue, whose Latin name was Villare Allodium. It was an inheritable estate that was free and unencumbered, in contrast to a fief, which is the grant of a lord. This fifth Villers of the day is a very small village. From here we have to turn west to make a trip to France. As usual, without the border crossing signs, it would be impossible to know whether one is in Wallonia or in the Hexagon. Right after Sommethonne, on Belgian territory, we drive through the streets of Thonne-la-Long, in France. On the walls of the church, the last traces of the election campaign are still visible, with portraits of the ten candidates for the presidential elections. After the village of Avioth, we enjoy beautiful curves on the descent to Breux. The name of the village reminds us of the “Pogge” from earlier. In Brussels dialect, “breu” means brother, and the two regions we cross on both sides of the border are indeed “brothers” or rather sisters. A pretty road to Fagny awaits us, before we turn left onto the tiny D17, return to Belgium, and reach the checkered flag of this BBB: Villers-devant-Orval. We couldn’t resist stopping at the nearby café by the church: “Le Villers” allows us to enjoy the last drink before returning. Florenville and Neufchâteau are not far away to reach the E25. Safe travels, caution, and have fun at the Villers!

Enjoyable Stops

- Ferrières: The Café des Sports is a village bistro, just the way we love them, with a cozy terrace. Café des Sports, 6 Place de Chablis, 4190 Ferrières.

- Fauvillers: L’Eldo is a café-restaurant that offers you simple and affordable cuisine so you can set off with a full stomach. L’Eldo, 40 rue du Centre, 6637 Fauvillers. Tel.: 063/60.01.93.

- Villers-devant-Orval: The Café Le Villers is a must-visit, where one can only stop to enjoy the friendship drink before returning. It is a village bistro with a wood oven that allows pizzas to be baked in the evenings when hunger strikes. Le Villers, Place Dom Marie-Albert, 6823 Villers-Devant-Orval.